Bats Carry Fireflies To 11th Win in Last 15 Games 

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Fireflies bats continue to roll as they beat the Hickory Crawdads 8-5 Thursday night at Segra Park.

The Fireflies fired first Thursday evening. Asbel Gonzalez and Jose Cerice drew walks around a Henry Ramos walk to load the bases with just one out. After that, Aneudis Mejia balked to plate Gonzalez to break the scoreless tie. Next, Stone Russell poked a single up the middle to plate Ramos and Cerice to make it 3-0 in favor of Columbia.

The Fireflies weren’t done there. In the third, Ramos walked and moved up to third on a Cerice single. Russell came to the dish again and chopped a ground out to third that allowed Ramos to come around for his 11th RBI of the series. It gave the Fireflies a 4-2 advantage heading out of the first third of the game.

Hickory returned fire in the fourth. Hector Osorio and Marcos Torres drew walks to set the table for Deward Tovar who singled to load the bases. After that, Yeremy Cabrera ripped a double to clear the bases and push the Crawdads in front 5-4.

After that, it was all Columbia offensively. The bullpen spun 5.1 scoreless innings, marking the second night where the pen covered five or more frames without allowing a run. Dash Albus (W, 8-2) stranded an inherited runner and worked 2.1 innings with four strikeouts. After that, Kamden Edge worked two hitless innings before Henson Leal (S, 3) went a scoreless ninth for the Fireflies.

Columbia rallied behind two walks and a hit batter in the fifth before Connor Rasmussen pulled a two-run single past second baseman Luis Marquez. After that, Brennon McNair shot a double to left to plate Russell to push Columbia in front 7-5.

In the seventh, Henry Ramos kicked off the frame with a two-bagger before Stone Russell hita sacrifice fly to score the right fielder. It was Russell’s fourth RBI of the game and 12th of the first three games of the series. The infielder has 49 RBI this season now.

The 2-4 holes produced the majority of the offense for Columbia. Asbel Gonzalez reached three times and scored two runs, Jose Cerice scored a pair of runs, Henry Ramos added three runs and Russell had his second four RBI game of the series.

The Fireflies continue their series with the Hickory Crawdads tomorrow night at Segra Park at 7:05 pm. RHP Blake Wolters (2-2, 4.20 ERA) gets the ball for Columbia while Hickory has yet to name their starter.

Tomorrow night is Grateful Dead Night at Segra Park. Stillhouse, the Grateful Dead tribute band will be performing live music, there will be a drum circle at the game and the first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Grateful Dead t-shirt. Fans can buy their tickets at FirefliesTickets.com.