NORTH AUGUSTA, SC: The Fireflies continue to show that they do their best work late, as they rallied to tie the game and then take the lead against Augusta’s bullpen in a 7-6 win Saturday evening.
On a dreary gray evening at SRP Park, the Firefly bats were fabulous early, consistently attacking Rayven Antonio for a quick advantage.
Each of the game’s first four batters reached, and despite a caught stealing of Asbel Gonzalez, an E9 and sac fly put Columbia up 2-0 in the first inning.
The Fireflies doubled the lead the very next inning, as a pair of free passes and a Gonzalez steal set the stage for Tyriq Kemp to yank a line drive to plate two more.
Antonio would exit after the fourth, but it was after his final inning of work that the offense fully came alive against Hiro Wyatt.
A nine-pitch single from Juan Mateo was followed by back-to-back walks from Colin Burgess and Hayden Friese to load the bases.
Wyatt induced a strike out before departing, and the Jackets brought home their first run as Joe Olsavsky was hit by a pitch from Yenfri Sosa.
Sosa got a pop up for the second out, but grooved a fastball to the red-hot John Gil, and Gil obliterated a grand slam to deep left center for an Augusta lead.
The precarious one-run advantage would survive the 5th, as Lewis Sifontes made his Single-A debut with a hitless inning, but the Fireflies were far more successful against Logan Forsythe.
Ramon Ramirez greeted Forsythe with a leadoff triple, and Columbia tied the game two batters later on a deep sac fly from Yandel Ricardo.
Columbia would regain the lead for good against Forsythe in the top of the 7th, as a fielder’s choice and walk put two on with one out.
It was Ramirez who played hero again, ripping his second triple in as many innings down the left field line for a 7-5 lead.
Augusta’s hitters were dormant for the majority of the second half against Sosa and Nick Conte, but fought valiantly in the bottom of the 9th.
With Yimi Presinal in for his first Single-A save, Gil stayed hot with a one-out single to bring the tying run up. Presinal retired Owen Carey on a scorching ground ball, but Dixon Williams brought Gil home with a double off the fence in center to put the tying run on with two out.
Presinal reset dramatically, and punched out Mateo to secure the Fireflies’ fourth win in five days.
The GreenJackets and Fireflies square off for the final time this summer Sunday night, Aug. 23, at 5:05 p.m., with Columbia turning to their ace David Shields for the second time this week.
Jacob Shafer is on the mound for Augusta, in his first start at home since returning from the Injured List.
