Nestor Cortes has only been with the Charleston RiverDogs for three appearances now, but he is quickly making a name for himself. The left-hander dominated the Columbia Fireflies Thursday night, striking out 12 while allowing just 2-hits in 6-innings to lead the RiverDogs to a 1-0 win. That moved Cortes’ record to 2-0 and lowered his ERA to a miniscule 1.08.

This was a game dominated by both starters. Kevin Canelon started for Columbia and he was nearly as effective. For the first four innings neither team could generate any offense. Cortes retired the first eight hitters he faced, with a two-out walk in the third ending the string. Five of those eight batters struck out. In the fourth inning he retired the side in order, all on strikeouts, and repeated the feat in the fifth. The lefty was on fire and the Fireflies had no answer for him whatsoever.

Canelon was pitching extremely well as well. The Columbia starter retired the first nine batters of the game, with Thairo Estrada singling to start the fourth to break up the string. He was completely dominating the RiverDogs hitters, allowing only two balls to leave the infield through the first four innings.

In the bottom of the fifth, Charleston was able to finally break the scoreless tie. Kyle Holder got it started when he drilled a Canelon offering to the wall in center field for a double to lead off the inning. A ground out moved him to third, and Jeff Hendrix walked to put runners at the corners with just one out. That brought Leonardo Molina to the plate, who promptly lined a single into left to score Holder and give the RiverDogs the 1-0 lead.

That lone run would be all the support that Cortes and his bullpen would need. The left-hander gave up two singles in the sixth, his first hits allowed of the game, putting runners at first and second with just one out, but he retired the next two batters to keep it a one-run lead.

After six innings that would be it for Cortes (2-0). Those two singles were the lone hits he allowed, as he finished with 12-strikeouts and 1-walk allowed. Cortes threw 80-pitches, 52 of which were strikes.

In the seventh the RiverDogs sent Willie Gabay to the hill, and he kept the lead over the next two innings. Gabay gave up a lone single in the seventh, but got a double-play to erase the runner. In the eighth he struck out two on his way to retiring the side.

In the ninth, the Charleston RiverDogs turned to closer Andrew Schwaab to end the game. He retired the Fireflies in order for his seventh save of the season.

In a 1-0 game, it is quite clear that neither team generated much offense, and this one was no exception. The teams combined for 10 total hits, with Estrada and Fireflies catcher Jose Garcia being the only two hitters to record two-hits.

These two teams continue their series tomorrow. Columbia (20-20) sends Tyler Badamo (1-3, 3.79) to the hill to face Charleston RiverDogs starter Simon De la Rosa (1-2, 5.14). Game time is 7:05.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier