Charleston 4 - Columbia 2

Press Release:

COLUMBIA, SC – Despite a 4-2 loss to the RiverDogs, Joe Cavallaro was extremely sharp on the mound for the Fireflies. The righty tied his career high with nine strikeouts in seven innings on Thursday night at Spirit Communications Park. Cavallaro, a South Atlantic League All Star, holds a 2.26 ERA in nine starts this season.

Eight of Cavallaro’s nine strikeouts occurred in his final four innings on the mound (fourth to the seventh). During this span, he also allowed just one hit and did not give up a run. The only blunder was in the second frame. The 22-year-old absorbed two runs – a sacrifice fly from Chris Hess and Leonardo Molina’s RBI single.

The Fireflies responded to an early 2-0 deficit in the fourth inning. Ali Sanchez led off with an infield single. While Jeremy Vasquez was up at the plate, Sanchez advanced to second on a wild pitch from Jio Orozco. The inning continued when Vasquez singled into left-center field, which put runners at first and third. Columbia’s first run came on Orozco’s second miscue of the stanza - a balk that allowed Sanchez to score. Wuilmer Becerra knocked in Vasquez with a single, but rounded the first-base bag too far and was thrown out to end the fourth. The Fireflies and RiverDogs were tied, 2-2.

Charleston took advantage of a couple Columbia mistakes and regained the lead in the eighth. Miguel Flames laced a single into center field and then moved up to second on Quinn Brodey’s fielding error. Flames was handed another base – advanced to third - when Fireflies reliever Stephen Villines tossed a wild pitch. After Matt McPhearson walked, Oswaldo Cabrera singled and plated Flames. McPhearson went to third on the play. The next batter, Steven Sensley, smacked a grounder to Columbia’s shortstop Edgardo Fermin (a potential double-play ball). Fermin’s toss to second baseman Blake Tiberi was in time to get the lead runner, but Tiberi’s return throw to first was too high. McPhearson scored on the throwing error and the RiverDogs grabbed a 4-2 edge.

With two outs, Fermin tried to spark a rally with a single in the bottom of the eighth. Rigoberto Terrazas and Raphael Gladu each walked. The Fireflies swallowed this opportunity and stranded the bases loaded.

Gladu doubled in the third inning and extended his unbelievable hit streak to 21 games. This is the fourth-longest active hitting streak in professional baseball and continues to be the longest in franchise history.