COLUMBIA, SC- With a single in the sixth inning, Hoy Jun Park extended his hitting streak to eight games as the Charleston RiverDogs picked up just their fourth loss of the season in a 7-0 shutout at the hands of the Fireflies.
With two outs in the sixth inning, Park laced a base hit to right to hit safely in eight straight while batting .300 (12-40) over that span. Trey Amburgey also continued to produce from the middle of the lineup, jacking his sixth extra base hit in the last three games with a double in the first to start off a 3-4 day at the plate.
The RiverDogs (10-3) will retain at least a share of first place in the Southern Division with the loss and finish up their first road trip of the season going 4-3.
The Fireflies seized control of the ballgame right from the start. An error by Park on the first ball put into play by the Fireflies would prove costly. The extra out allowed the Fireflies to score three runs that all went unearned to take a 3-0 advantage early. After the misplayed ground ball by Park, J.C. Rodriguez popped out to third and Vinny Siena reached on a walk to put runners at first and second. David Thompson grounded into a fielder’s choice that made it runners at the corners before back-to-back hits by the Fireflies brought the three runs home.
In the third, RiverDogs starter Cody Carroll (0-1) labored once more, yielding a one out walk to Sienna and a single to David Thompson before allowing a pair of RBI singles by Columbia first baseman Dash Winningham and right fielder Jeff Diehl that made it 5-0 Fireflies.
In the fourth Kevin Kaczmarski tripled with one out before coming home to score on a sac fly by the shortstop, J.C. Rodriguez. Kaczmarski’s three-bagger was one of six combined by both teams in the three-game series.
Columbia added a run in the fifth on a run-scoring double by Fireflies catcher Nataneal Ramos that pushed the lead to 7-0.
Carroll picked up the loss in his first professional start allowing six runs (three earned) on six hits over four innings of work while allowing three walks and punching out a pair.
Simon De la Rosa worked the final four innings for Charleston and settled down after giving up the run to Columbia in the fifth frame. The Dominican righty finished allowing one run on a pair of hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
For Charleston, it was their first series loss of the season after winning their first three series to start the season.
The RiverDogs next begin a four-game homestand hosting the Augusta GreenJackets at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park from April 21-24. The RiverDogs will send RHP Brody Koerner (1-0, 1.38) to the hill while the Fireflies will counter with RHP Logan Webb (0-0, 3.38). The opener against Augusta will feature $1 draft beers at the Ashley View Pub all night long as part of a Budweiser Thirsty Thursday. Also, be prepared to throw your hands in the air on National High Five Day.
Fans that can’t make it out to the ballpark can tune in on WTMA 1250 AM in the tri-county area as well as online at riverdogs.com. Ticket information for any of the RiverDogs remaining home games this season may be secured by contacting the box office at (843)577-DOGS (3647) or online at www.riverdogs.com.
–RIVERDOGS–
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