Columbia 4 - Lexington 0

photo by Tom Priddy

Press Release:

LEXINGTON, KY – Joe Cavallaro’s stockpile of quality starts grew larger on Wednesday. The Fireflies righty hurled six scoreless innings, picked up his league-best seventh win of the season and led Columbia to a 4-0 victory. It was Columbia’s third shut-out win of the season and second in four days.

Cavallaro (W, 7-1) – one of Columbia’s four all-stars – struck out seven, too, and didn’t walk a single batter. Wednesday was the right-hander’s eighth quality outing in 10 starts (six or more IP, three or fewer earned runs). Cavallaro has posted a 2.06 ERA over 65.2 IP this season.

The game featured five scoreless innings before the Fireflies finally broke for three runs in the top of the sixth. It started the way the prior few frames had gone, with Legends starter Andres Sotillet (L, 5-3) retiring the first two batters. But then Columbia (32-31) sprung for a two-out rally. First, Raphael Gladu (who finished with three hits) doubled into the right-center field gap and then Blake Tiberi walked. Just afterword, Ali Sanchez smashed an RBI base hit through the left side of the infield.

Columbia wasn’t finished. Sotillet continued unraveling and threw a wild pitch to the backstop. Both runners moved up and the table was set for Jeremy Vasquez. The lefty slugged a base hit into left and it scored both runners.

The Fireflies padded its lead over Lexington (35-30) with a score in the ninth. With the bases loaded, Edgardo Fermin droved in Matt Winaker from third base with a sacrifice fly.   

It wasn’t just Cavallaro who was impressive on the mound. Fireflies relievers Carlos Hernandez (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K) and Stephen Villines (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) taunted the Legends hitters as well.

Columbia aims to split the four-game series in the finale against  Lexington on Thursday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 ET and Anthony Kay (2-3, 4.02) is expected to make the start for Columbia and face Legends righty Yefri Del Rosario (0-1, 3.60).