Record-setting offensive performance propels Fireflies to win over Legends

Columbia scored a franchise record runs on Wednesday, as the Fireflies dominated the Lexington Legends, 16-2.

In the first game of a three-game series at Whitaker Bank Ballpark, Dan Rizzie became the second Firefly in team history to register a five-hit contest. Jacob Zanon also cracked the record books, becoming the first Firefly to score four runs in a game.

Columbia (10-15, 50-43) tallied 12 of its 16 runs in the first four innings. Leading 3-0 after two frames, the Fireflies piled four runs on the board in the third. Rizzie and Dash Winningham produced run-scoring singles. Jay Jabs and Colby Woodmansee each added RBI groundouts and the Fireflies held a 7-0 advantage after three innings.

In the fourth inning, Rizzie drilled an RBI double and Jabs hit a three-run homer, his fifth of the season. The Fireflies were in cruise control the rest of the game and scored four more runs in the seventh inning.

Every Firefly had at least one hit, as Zanon, Winningham, Rizzie, Woodmansee, Luis Carpio and Andres Gimenez all had multi-hit games. It was the fourth three-hit game of the season for Gimenez, as the Fireflies logged a season-high 19 hits in the victory.

Chase Ingram (1-0) made his first start with the Fireflies and allowed one run while recording six strikeouts in five innings of work. Ingram, who played in Columbia last season, rejoined the team on Monday.

The Fireflies will face the Legends in the second game of the series on Thursday, with the first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Lefty Blake Taylor (1-9, 4.92) is scheduled to start for Columbia and fellow southpaw Andre Davis (5-2, 4.64) is set to pitch for Lexington.