Columbia 5 - Delmarva 4

 Press Release:

COLUMBIA, SC – The Fireflies trailed 4-3 in the bottom of the 10^th and rallied for a walk-off victory, 5-4, on Sunday afternoon at Spirit Communications Park. Raphael Gladu started the 10^th at second base, per the new minor league rules, and then moments later Hansel Moreno walked. Jay Jabs dropped a bunt down the third-base line and both runners scored on a throwing error from Delmarva’s third baseman Trevor Craport.

“It ended up being a better bunt than I thought,” Jabs chuckled. “I was just trying to be a team guy in that moment and it worked out.”

Columbia (19-17) and Delmarva (24-12) were scoreless through the first six innings. Yeizo Campos made his Fireflies debut and tossed four frames on the mound. The righty struck out four of the final six batters he faced. Taylor Henry was magnificent in his first outing of the season for Columbia. The southpaw logged three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Henry appeared in 39 games for the Fireflies in 2017 and was added back to the club’s roster on Saturday.

The Fireflies broke the scoring drought in the seventh inning. Quinn Brodey walked with one out and Jeremy Vasquez singled (Brodey moved to third base). Ali Sanchez tapped a ground ball on the infield grass – Brodey took off for home immediately - and left Delmarva’s third baseman Trevor Craport with a tough play. Brodey slid in safely ahead of the throw and gave the Fireflies a 1-0 edge. The Los Angeles native has now scored a run in his last 10 straight games. Sanchez reached first base on a fielder’s choice.

Gladu singled and brought in Vasquez and then Moreno put the final touch to the seventh frame with an RBI groundout to score Sanchez. Columbia led 3-0 after seven stanzas.

The Shorebirds battled back and responded the next two innings. Ryan Ripken knocked in Zach Jarrett with a single in the eighth. Delmarva muscled two more runs in the ninth off Columbia’s reliever Trey Cobb. The right-hander retired the first two batters, but allowed the next four hitters to reach base (three singles and one walk). The visitors tied the game, 3-3.

Columbia ultimately one-upped Delmarva in the 10^th inning. The Shorebirds broke a 3-3 tie with a run in the top of the frame only to watch the home team rally for a pair in the bottom half. This is the third walk-off win for the Fireflies this season.

Game three of this series is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Monday night at Spirit Communications Park. Lefty David Peterson (1-0, 2.28) toes the rubber for Columbia and Delmarva counters with right-hander Michael Baumann (4-0, 1.74).