WATCH: Fireflies Sweep GreenJackets Monday
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COLUMBIA, SC (Fireflies) – Enmanuel Zabala became the first Firefly in franchise history to record five hits in a game on Monday night, helping Columbia to a 7-5 victory over Augusta. The Fireflies swept the GreenJackets for the second time this season – twice at Spirit Communications Park. It was also the first four-game sweep of the season.
Columbia (23-34, 59-68) never trailed in the series. The home team scored in the first inning for a third straight day. Zabala socked a double down the left-field line to spark the hit parade. Later, Patrick Mazeika doubled in Zabala and Eudor Garcia’s triple into right field plated Columbia’s second run. Domenic Mazza’s (L, 6-3) shaky first inning ended with a wild pitch to the backstop. That allowed Garcia to scurry home and give his team a 3-0 edge.
The lead grew in the second. Dale Burdick and Zabala both singled and up stepped J.C. Rodriguez to the plate. He hammered Mazza’s pitch over the left-field fence, clearing the bases with his eighth home run of the year. It was the switch-hitter’s first dinger from the right side of the plate this season. Columbia plated six runs off of Augusta’s (33-23, 69-57) starter in the first two innings on Monday, two more than they had scored against Mazza in his three prior outings against the Fireflies.
Zabala ripped another single in the fourth inning, this time scoring a run in the process. The home team held a 7-0 lead after four.
Then Johneshwy Fargas scored Augusta’s first run with a single in the fifth inning. The only other blemishes on Gaby Almonte’s (W, 3-5) report card came in the sixth when Bryan Reynolds and Skyler Ewing both homered. The home team was still in front, 7-4.
The GreenJackets attempted a rally in the eighth. The first two hitters – Reynolds and Dillon Dobson – reached with consecutive singles. Three batters later, Jean Angomas knocked in Reynolds. Johnny Magliozzi (S, 5) later retired Seth Harrison with the tying run in scoring position to end the inning.
The Fireflies take their four-game win streak on the road to Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park in Charleston, South Carolina. Columbia begins a three-game series with the RiverDogs on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.
Right-hander Andrew Church (5-1, 1.99) is scheduled to face righty Christian Morris (8-4, 3.12).
You can listen to the action on WGCV 620 AM and 96.3 FM, ColumbiaFireflies.com and the TuneIn Radio app at 7:00 p.m.
