RiverDogs Advance to Championship Series in Exhilarating 7-6 Victory
Charleston, SC – The Charleston RiverDogs earned a thrilling 7-6 win over the Hickory Crawdads, to advance to the Carolina League Championship Series in front of 3,154 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
The victory earns Charleston its fourth Championship appearance over the last six seasons, and first since their 2023 title.
The RiverDogs will host game one of the Championship Round on Sunday, September 14 versus the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, the Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. Charleston went 10-2 against them in the regular season. First pitch is slated for 5:05 p.m.
“It’s incredible, it’s what we talked about from the beginning,” said RiverDogs manager Danny Mendick after the game. “We’ve been resilient all year, and the message has stayed the same from the start. We don’t quit.”
On Sunday, the first 2,500 fans through the gates will receive a free ‘Holy City Blue’ rally towel, perfect for showing your team spirit and making some noise.
Fans can also take advantage of 2-for-$5 tickets for everyone with the code word 250, plus enjoy $1 beers throughout the game. And to make game day even easier, parking is completely free. Come early, bring your friends and family, and help us create an unforgettable Championship atmosphere.
Fayetteville will host games two and three (if necessary) on Tuesday, September 16 and Wednesday, September 17 at Segra Stadium.
Tonight, Hickory jumped in front first in the top of the third when Paulino Santana sent a sacrifice fly to center to push them ahead 1-0.
Shortly after, the game entered a weather delay that lasted one hour and 43 minutes.
Out of the delay, the RiverDogs loaded the bases on three walks before Cooper Flemming blasted a grand slam to center field to push Charleston ahead 4-1.
An inning later, the Crawdads responded with two runs of their own to cut the lead to one run. They later tied the game in the fifth when Deward Tovar blasted an RBI double to left to even the score at 4-4.
Charleston rallied for three in the bottom of the fifth on a bases-loaded walk to Andreimi Antunez and an error to take a 7-4 lead.
Hickory chipped away with runs in each of the sixth and ninth innings to cut the RiverDogs’ lead to one, but Yereny Teus slammed the door to secure the gritty win.
Riley Stanford was spectacular, tossing three innings of one-run (unearned) ball. In the process, he fanned five.
Coverage of Game One of the Championship Series is slated for 5:05 p.m. with coverage beginning at 4:50 on MiLB.TV and the RiverDogs Broadcast Network.
About the RiverDogs
The Charleston RiverDogs are the Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and three-time Carolina League Champions. The RiverDogs play their home games at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, a Charleston staple since 1997. 2026 single game tickets are on sale now at RiverDogs.com. Beyond baseball, the RiverDogs host year-round events in the climate-controlled Segra Club.
Active members of the Lowcountry community, the RiverDogs were named the winner of the 2025 'MiLB Together Award,' which recognizes a team for outstanding commitment to charitable service in their community.
Team merchandise is always available at the RiverDogs Team Store. Store hours are Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Contact the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS) for more information.