Fireflies Win 14-Inning Thriller Over to Charleston
COLUMBIA, SC (Fireflies) – Columbia walked off for the fifth time this season, defeating Charleston on Saturday night in the 14th inning. Patrick Mazeika scored the game-winning run in the 5-4 series-opening victory.
The game had been tied since the seventh inning. But luck was on the Fireflies’ side the seventh time through the batting order. Mazeika pushed a single through the right side of the infield to begin the 14th. Then RiverDogs reliever Greg Weissert (L, 0-1) plunked Dale Burdick. With runners at first and second, Dash Winningham chopped a sharp grounder to the right side of the infield. Charleston (32-35, 74-62) second baseman Kyle Holder started a potential double play with a flip to shortstop Hoy Jun Park on the second base bag. At that time, Mazeika was already at third. But Park’s return throw to first was wide and flicked off the webbing of Kane Sweeney’s mitt. The error allowed Columbia (30-37, 66-71) to score the game-winner and improve to 6-5 in extras this season.
Saturday’s game was the longest this season by total innings (14) and time (4:39).
Not to be forgotten, the home team bounced back from a four-run deficit. The RiverDogs jumped out to a 4-0 edge in the first four frames, highlighted by Luis Torrens’ solo home run.
Then J.C. Rodriguez – playing on his 24th birthday – drilled a two-run homer that snuck just inside the right-field foul pole in the fifth. It started a three-inning run-scoring stretch. In the following frame, Vicente Lupo cut the deficit to a run when he scored from third base on a wild pitch. Later in the seventh, Eudor Garcia tied the game up with a single to left field.
Columbia’s bullpen (Nicco Blank, Johnny Magliozzi, Seth Davis, Tyler Bashler) on Saturday shut out Charleston for nine innings. Two relievers – Blank and Bashler (W, 4-2) – struck out the side. Fireflies pitchers punched out a single-game best 17 batters.
The final series of the year continues with a doubleheader on Sunday. Game one between Columbia and Charleston begins at 3:30 p.m. with game two starting approximately 30 minutes after the first contest concludes. Both games will last seven innings.
You can watch the action on MiLB.TV starting at 3:30 p.m. or listen in on WGCV 620 AM and 96.3 FM, ColumbiaFireflies.com and the TuneIn Radio app at 3:00 p.m.
