Paulino Unflappable in Opener vs. Augusta
Published on June 30, 2018 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC - Dionis Paulino finished with three extra-base hits on Saturday - including a go-ahead home run in the sixth - and led Columbia to a 3-2 series-opening victory over Augusta at SRP Park. Paulino wound up a triple shy of recording the cycle on a night he tallied a career-high four hits. The Fireflies are back above .500 (5-4) in the second half of the season.
Paulino took GreenJackets's reliever John Russell (L, 5-5) deep with two outs in the sixth frame. The mammoth blast broke a 2-2 tie and put the visitors ahead for good. Paulino doubled in the second and ninth innings and also singled in the fourth.
Columbia (5-4, 39-37) had fallen behind 2-0 in the second. Nick Hill drilled a two-run double that proved to be the only important hit for Augusta (3-7, 40-38) on Saturday. After a rocky first two innings, starter Joe Cavallaro (W, 8-2) got stronger and stronger as the night moved along. The Columbia ace and SAL all-star lasted six frames and picked up his league-leading eighth victory of the season. The right-hander struck out seven and scattered just four hits.
The fifth proved to be the pivotal frame when the Fireflies tied the score. Hansel Moreno and Edgardo Fermin kicked off the inning with consecutive singles before Raphael Gladu plated the visitor's first run with a groundout. With Fermin later sitting at third, Matt Winaker drilled a deep fly ball to centerfield. The out was recorded, but Fermin tagged and scored the second run.
Moreno (eight straight games) and Fermin (12 straight) each extended their season-long hit streaks.
Columbia would not have been victorious on Saturday if not for the efforts of relievers Darwin Ramos and Trey Cobb (S, 10). Ramos retired all six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth innings (including four strikeouts) and Cobb nailed down the win with a scoreless ninth, picking up his 10th save of the year (second-most in the SAL) in the process. Augusta finished with no hits from the fifth inning on.
Game two of the four-game set between Columbia and Augusta is on Sunday at 5:05 ET at SRP Park. The Fireflies send righty Zac Grotz (1-0, 2.30) to the mound to face GreenJackets right-hander Jose Marte (6-2, 3.65)
NEXT GAME INFO: Sunday, July 1, SRP Park, 5:05 ET ... LISTEN: FOX Sports Radio 1400 AM, ColumbiaFireflies.com, TuneIn Radio app
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