Huge First Inning Helps RiverDogs Hammer Fireflies 11-1

July 8, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release

Charleston, SC- The Charleston RiverDogs scored eight runs in the first inning and never looked back on their way to an 11-1 thrashing of the Columbia Fireflies on Saturday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The RiverDogs outhit the Fireflies 13-3 in the contest, winning by their largest margin of the season. The game, delayed at the outset by almost two hours, was played in front of 4,218 fans.

The RiverDogs (7-7, 34-46) burst out of the gates against Shane Panzini, putting up their most prolific inning of the season. Chandler Simpson opened the stanza with an infield single and promptly stole second and third base. Xavier Isaac worked a walk and Ryan Spikes blasted his team-leading eighth home run of the season to make it 3-0. A hit by pitch, walk and infield single loaded the bases once again with two outs. Panzini walked Mario Fernandez to force in another run before departing the game. He was charged with seven runs, four of them earned.

Nicholas Regalado entered from the pen and induced a chopper to second from Simpson that was misplayed by Lizandro Rodriguez for a run-scoring error. Cooper Kinney cleared the bases with a double and the lead swelled to 8-0.

Charleston wasn't done there. Edwin Barragan rolled an RBI single through the left side of the infield to tack on a run in the second. In the third, Kinney came through with another double, this time driving in one run to increase the margin to 1-0. Finally, Fernandez tallied his second RBI with a single to left in the fourth. The single represented his first hit since joining the team last week.

Yoniel Curet was dominant on the mound once again, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings. The right-hander whiffed nine batters to match his career-high in strikeouts. He has turned in 24.2 consecutive scoreless innings.

Columbia (8-6, 43-36) scored their lone run in the seventh against Kikito Severino. The inning began with a single and a walk and was capped by Levi Usher's RBI double down the third base line.

Severino surrendered the lone run over 3.0 innings, striking out four. Juan Rodriguez left the game with the athletic trainer before finishing an at-bat in the eighth. Michael Sansone closed the game with 2.0 perfect innings and also collected four strikeouts.

Kinney finished 2-5 with a pair of doubles and four runs batted in. Meza and Barragan each led the way with three hits. Simpson's stolen bases moved him into third place in RiverDogs history in single season stolen bases with 61.

Charleston RiverDogs' Yoniel Curet on the mound

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Carolina League Stories from July 8, 2023

• Huge First Inning Helps RiverDogs Hammer Fireflies 11-1 - Charleston RiverDogs
• Hillcats Spanked by Red Sox, 11-1 - Lynchburg Hillcats
• Shorebirds Blank FredNats 8-0 - Fredericksburg Nationals
• Fireflies Knocked Down in 11-1 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
• Delmarva Bounces Back with Shutout of Fredericksburg - Delmarva Shorebirds
• Birds Fall After Late Surge by GreenJackets - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
• Mudcats and Woodpeckers Suspended Saturday Night - Carolina Mudcats
• Vargas Transferred to High-A Wisconsin - Carolina Mudcats
• Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.8 at Charleston - Columbia Fireflies
• Another Fayetteville Comeback Falls Short in One-Run Loss to Mudcats - Fayetteville Woodpeckers

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