RedWolves split doubleheader with Blowfish

FLORENCE – One day after being named coach of the American All-Star team at next Tuesday’s Coastal Plain League All-Star Game, Wes Davis failed to stick around for both games of Wednesday night’s doubleheader with Columbia at Legion Field.

Davis was on hand for Florence’s 6-2 win in the game one but was ejected in the nightcap of his team’s 4-2 loss to the Blowfish.

Unhappy with the umpiring in the second game, Davis wasn’t pleased when base umpire Richard Gonzalez called Columbia’s Branfy Arias safe in the sixth inning on a chopper to short. After extended arguments with both umpires, plate umpire Jason Fisk finally tossed Davis from the contest.

Davis wasn’t anywhere close to being finished, however. The first-year manager unleashed a tirade on both umpires for several minutes before finally throwing a bucket of balls onto the field.

In the opener, the RedWolves (26-11 overall, 6-4 second half) rode the arms of Rob Kumbatovic and Steve Grife to a win.

Kumbatovic (3-1) tossed four innings for the win, allowing no earned runs on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Grife went the final three innings for the save, fanning four batters and walking three.

Offensively, Florence got to Columbia’s Keegan Linza in the fifth inning. Leading 3-2, Alec Lowery stepped to the plate and drilled a pitch over the wall in left centerfield for a two-run shot that increased his team’s lead to 5-2.

Columbia’s Tim Medlin went to his bullpen after the home run. One batter later, Herman Petzold greeted Jesse Harmon lined an RBI single to plate Keon Graves. Florence led 6-2 after five innings.

Linza (2-4) suffered the loss for the Blowfish in game one, allowing five runs, all earned, on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings pitched. The right-hander from USC struck out a batter and walked another.

In the nightcap, Columbia drew first blood against the RedWolves. Arias got the rally started with an RBI double off Bobby Doran (3-4) to give his team a 1-0 second-inning lead. Chris Kay followed with a two-run single to up the Columbia advantage to 3-0.

Doran took the loss for Florence, allowing two earned runs in six innings. The right-hander finished with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Florence, however, answered in the fourth inning off Sid Fallaw. With a runner on, Blake Walker launched a shot to right center that caromed off the top of the wall. Andrew Guerra scored on the triple to slice the deficit to 3-1.

Myckie Lugbauer followed with an RBI single that scored Walker to cut the Columbia lead to 3-2.

The Blowfish (12-25, 4-6) got a run back courtesy of Tyler Bortnick. The Coastal Carolina standout bombed a Doran offering 405 feet to left for a solo homer to cap the scoring and give his team a 4-2 lead.

Columbia needed five pitchers to secure the win in the nightcap. Francis Marion’s Cory Deering (1-0) picked up his first win of the season in relief, fanning a batter and walking one in 2/3 of an inning. Rich Witten tossed the final two innings for his third save.