Winningham Flashes Power in Series Finale
June 26, 2016 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
COLUMBIA, SC - Columbia and Augusta were tied after six innings on Sunday, but the GreenJackets pushed two runs across in the seventh frame to beat the Fireflies, 4-2, at Spirit Communications Park. Dash Winningham clobbered his third home run of the season and Vicente Lupo reached base safely in all of his four at-bats.
The first three batters of the seventh inning reached for Augusta (4-0, 40-34). Witt Haggard (L, 0-3) got Jalen Miller to ground into a fielder's choice for the first out. Manager Jose Leger then handed the ball off to lefty Seth Davis. The reliever induced a ground ball by Miguel Gomez, but a Columbia (0-4, 36-38) fielding error enabled Johneshwy Fargas and Richard Amion to score, which broke a 2-2 tie.
Columbia managed to have only one base runner in the eighth and ninth frames. Augusta relievers Connor Kaden (W, 5-2) and Carlos Alvarado (S, 1) held the Fireflies to just one hit over the final five innings.
The GreenJackets got on the board first in all four games. Shawon Dunston Jr. doubled off of Fireflies starter Tyler Badamo in the first inning. A Gomez single pushed Dunston to third base and Dylan Davis' fly out to right field was deep enough to plate the run.
In the bottom of the second, Lupo drove in his third run of the series. The Venezuelan outfielder - who finished 5-for-7 on the homestand with three extra-base hits - punched a single to right field and plated Joe Tuschak to tie the game, 1-1.
With one swing in the third frame, Winningham gave Columbia its first and only lead of the entire series.
Gomez responded with a blast of his own in the top of the sixth for Augusta to even the score. The South Atlantic League's batting average leader hit three dingers in the series.
Columbia hits the road on Monday for a three-game series at Hickory (Texas Rangers). The Fireflies face the Crawdads for the first time this season at 7:00 p.m. Gaby Almonte (1-1, 3.09) makes his third start of the year for Columbia.
You can listen to the action on WGCV 620 AM, 105.1 and 96.3 FM, ColumbiaFireflies.com and the TuneIn Radio app starting at 7:00 p.m.
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