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Hickory Crawdads Fall to Columbia Fireflies
Fireflies score five runs in the fifth inning to defeat Crawdads 5-2
Apr. 5, 2026 at 10:04pm
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The Columbia Fireflies defeated the Hickory Crawdads 5-2 on Friday night at LP Frans Stadium. The Fireflies used a five-run fifth inning to overcome an early 1-0 deficit and secure the victory.
Why it matters
This was the second game of the season for both teams, and the loss drops the Crawdads to 1-1 on the year. The Fireflies were able to bounce back from an opening day defeat to even their record at 1-1.
The details
Hickory starting pitcher Jesus Lafalaise tossed four shutout innings in his 2026 debut, but the Fireflies erupted for five runs in the fifth inning to take the lead. Ivan Sosa and Sean Gamble homered in the big inning for Columbia. Deward Tovar drove in the lone run for the Crawdads with an RBI single in the first inning.
- The game was played on Friday, April 5, 2026.
- Lafalaise made his 2026 debut for Hickory.
The players
Jesus Lafalaise
A right-handed pitcher making his 2026 debut for the Hickory Crawdads.
Deward Tovar
A Hickory Crawdads player who drove in the team's lone run with an RBI single in the first inning.
Ivan Sosa
A Columbia Fireflies player who hit a home run in the five-run fifth inning.
Sean Gamble
A Columbia Fireflies player who hit a two-run home run in the five-run fifth inning.
Jordan Woods
The winning pitcher for the Columbia Fireflies, tossing three scoreless innings to preserve the lead.
What they’re saying
“We made some good plays early, but that fifth inning really hurt us. We'll need to bounce back tomorrow.”
— Deward Tovar, Hickory Crawdads Player
What’s next
The two teams will play the second game of their series on Saturday night at LP Frans Stadium.
The takeaway
The Crawdads were unable to hold an early lead, as the Fireflies' big fifth inning proved to be the difference in the game. Hickory will look to even the series on Saturday as they continue their early-season schedule.
