Vasquez Vaults a Pair of Homers in Opener
July 7, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
COLUMBIA, SC - Fireflies first baseman Jeremy Vasquez smashed two homers on Saturday night against Charleston and became the second Firefly to homer twice in one game this season (Quinn Brodey, April 18 @ Greenville). Columbia ended up dropping the opener to the RiverDogs, 6-5, at Spirit Communications Park.
Vasquez now has six dingers and a team-best 43 RBIs. His first on Saturday - a three-run blast in the sixth frame - scored Columbia's (7-9, 41-42) first runs. The lefty slugger then drove a solo shot over the right-field wall his next at-bat in the eighth. Vasquez's last two-homer game was in college on March 9, 2017, as a member of the Nova Southeastern University baseball team.
The two homers cut into two separate deficits. Columbia came within a run of Charleston (11-4, 44-39) twice but never led.
The Mets and Yankees affiliates have played 15 games this season with now 10 decided by a single run. In fact, all 15 games have been decided by just 24 total runs.
Charleston held the early advantage after a four-run third frame and the visitors didn't stop there. Welfrin Mateo knocked in another run in the fifth to give the RiverDogs a 5-0 edge.
Columbia did not roll over. The sixth-inning rally started with Vasquez's three-run homer and ended with Giovanny Alfonzo's RBI single.
The Fireflies found themselves down two runs again after the top of the seventh. After back-to-back base hits from Oswaldo Cabrera and Chris Hess, Leo Molina drove in a run. Charleston pulled ahead, 6-4.
Vasquez's eighth-inning bomb cut into the deficit but was the last bit of Columbia's offense.
Taylor Henry hurled 2.1 effective and scoreless innings out of the bullpen. The lefty's ERA is down to 1.96.
NEXT GAME INFO: Sunday, July 8, Spirit Communications Park, 2:05 ET ... STARTERS: RHP Luc Rennie (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Rony Garcia (3-4, 3.97) ... WATCH: MiLB.TV ... LISTEN: FOX Sports Radio 1400 AM, ColumbiaFireflies.com, TuneIn Radio app
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