NORTH AUGUSTA, SC: The GreenJackets continue to find themselves outclassed by Columbia pitching, held silent offensively for the third straight evening as they fell 5-3 at home Thursday evening.
For the third straight night, neither offense had much to offer early, as Kendy Richard and Luis Gutierrez both were strong in the early goings.
Gutierrez retired the first three GreenJackets he faced, while Richard navigated a pair of doubles to post zeroes in his first four innings worked.
The offense finally broke through the dam in the bottom of the fourth, using a rare burst of two-out offense to push three across and take an early lead.
After a one-out single, John Gil swiped second base and crossed home on a two-out base hit from Owen Carey.
Dixon Williams followed with a groun-rule double to straightaway center, and Hayden Friese cracked a two-run single for a 3-0 lead.
The Fireflies would waste no time in retaliating, as Kendy Richard’s stamina ran low and he could not escape the fifth.
A bunt single, walk, and hit by pitch loaded the bases with nobody out, threatening immediately. After a double play gave a glimmer of hope while bringing home a run, Tyriq Kemp cracked a two-run double to tie the game.
Columbia did not let off the gas the very next inning, scattering runners against Drew Christo to hand the reliever his first professional loss.
The Fireflies loaded the bases with no outs on two free passes and an error, and Christo issued a bases-loaded walk to Josi Novas to put Columbia in front.
Asbel Gonzalez followed up with an infield single, and the Fireflies would not let go of the lead.
The GreenJacket bats would not see another hit the rest of the way, as Fraynel Nova and Bryson Dudley worked four perfect innings to continue the bullpen’s run of dominance.
The Columbia pen has now worked 13.2 scoreless innings with just two hits allowed in three games.
Augusta has dropped three straight at home for just the second time this year, and look to find their winning ways tomorrow under gray skies.
Jeremy Reyes, after the best outing of his professional career, takes the ball against Darwin Rodriguez at 7:05 p.m.
