Sharp's Eighth-Inning Homer Propels Fireflies to Independence Day Victory
July 5, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
HICKORY, NC - Fireflies outfielder Brian Sharp played the role of Steve Rogers on Independence Day night. Sharp smashed a three-run dinger in the top of the eighth to put Columbia up for good against Hickory. The blast was the 22-year-old's team-leading ninth home run of the season. Sharp's heroics helped his squad secure a 5-3 win against the Crawdads.
While Sharp was certainly instrumental in Thursday night's win, he was not the only key contributor. Hayden Senger enjoyed yet another solid night at the plate. The Ohio native tallied three hits, an RBI and a run scored during the affair. Senger is hitting a whopping .469 (23-for-49) since the all-star break. That's the best second-half batting average in the SAL among qualified hitters. The duo of Senger and Sharp produced five of the Fireflies' seven hits on the evening.
Columbia (8-7, 32-49) also received a valiant group effort from its pitching staff. Simeon Woods-Richardson, Bryce Hutchinson (W, 4-5) and Billy Oxford (S, 2) combined to allow just two runs on five hits. They worked together to match Hickory (10-5, 51-30) starter Yerry Rodriguez stride for stride. The Crawdads' righty punched out seven Fireflies hitters in six innings, and retired each of the last eight men he faced.
Finally, Columbia was the beneficiary of some timely defensive glovework. Not once, but twice the Fireflies ended an inning with a 6-4-3 double play. The first came with runners at first and second with the game tied in the bottom of the fifth. The next came in the bottom of the ninth with the potential winning run at the plate for Hickory. The turn of two not only ended the ninth, it also secured the victory.
It truly seems as if something has begun to click for Columbia. Thursday night's win is the most recent of several "team" victories against quality opponents in the second half. While it is still very early into the second half, if the Fireflies can continue to showcase all-around efforts and battle through adversity, a playoff spot may not be too far out of reach.
Columbia will continue its series against Hickory on Friday. RHP Willy Taveras (4-7, 5.60) will start for the Fireflies against RHP Hans Crouse (2-0, 2.82). First pitch is set for 7:00 ET. Coverage will begin at 6:40 ET at FirefliesLiveStream.com, and at first pitch time at MiLB.TV.
South Atlantic League Stories from July 5, 2019
- Anderson Has Two-Homer Game in 'Dads Debut - Hickory Crawdads
- Olague Dominates as Rome Defeats Asheville 5-1 - Rome Emperors
- Lexington Powers off West Virginia in 11-7 Victory - Lexington Legends
- Pitching Staff Throws Gem to Give Kannapolis Win in Vaughn's Debut - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Olague Steals the Show, Fires CG against Tourists - Asheville Tourists
- Six-Run Fifth Inning Drowns Power Friday Night - Charleston Dirty Birds
- 'Birds Slide by Suns, Retain Gov's Cup - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Jackets Offense Struggles as Kannapolis Wins 5-0 - Augusta GreenJackets
- Suns Unable to Take Advantage of 'Birds Miscues - Hagerstown Suns
- RiverDogs Offense Goes Flat in Game Two - Charleston RiverDogs
- Drive Blank RiverDogs, 4-0, on Friday - Greenville Drive
- Fireflies Game Notes: July 5 at Hickory - Columbia Fireflies
- Game Notes (July 5) - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Hagerstown Suns Game Notes - Hagerstown Suns
- RiverDogs Promise Five-Star, Three-Day Homestand Starting Tuesday - Charleston RiverDogs
- Tourists Hold off Braves 4-3 in Series Opener - Rome Emperors
- Sharp's Eighth-Inning Homer Propels Fireflies to Independence Day Victory - Columbia Fireflies
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
