Columbia rallied with four runs in the botom of the 8th inning and hung on to beat the Florence Redwolves (7-9, 26-17) 5-4 in a thriller of a game Wednesday night at Capital City Stadium. In addition to picking up the victory, the Fish broke the single-season record for most stolen bases by a team, and Branfy Arias (Tusculum) broke the individual career stolen base record on the night.

Nick Orvin (Citadel) removed the drama in the team's chase for the record almost immediately after the game started. He drew a lead off walk to start the bottom of the first, then stole second. It marked the 145th time the team had swiped a bag this year and topped the old mark of 144 set by the Peninsula Pilots of 2009.

"This is what the team was built around: speed," Head Coach Lee Gronkiewicz said when asked about the record after the game. "It is exciting to watch. Somedays we blow teams out with our speed, some days we lose because we don't have enough power. It's a trade off, but it is worth it."

Arias made the crowd wait a bit longer. He was picked off of second base to end the first inning, but the crowd sensed the moment was coming when he reached base in the sixth after being hit by a pitch. He took off for second on the first pitch, and beat the throw to second for his 59th career stolen base.

"It feels good," Arias said after the game. "I didn't even know I was close until someone said something to me, but I just tried to keep going and ignore it. It's nice to be able to relax and just play baseball now."

Holmes would not allow himself to be up-staged though. He made his first start in Columbia since working as the mid-week starter for the Gamecocks this year, and he was phenomenal. Holmes took a no-hit bid through 5 2/3 innings of work until fellow Gamecock Brison Celek broke through with a single. Holmes worked through 7 1/3 innings, allowing two runs (1 ER) on just two hits, while striking out eleven, though he walked 4 and hit two batters.

Trailing 4-1 entering the eighth inning, things looked grim for Columbia. Nick Orvin (Citadel) drew a one out walk, then Matt Williams (Liberty) singled off reliever Kit Carter (Erskine). A wild throw on a pick-off attempt allowed them each to advance a base, before Arias was plunked for the second time in the game to load the bases.

Columbia plated their first run of the inning when Celek was then hit by a pitch to force home Orvin, and close the deficit to just 4-2. With the bases still loaded and only one out, David Greene (Citadel) hit a ground ball to first base, and the first baseman John Frost (Alabama-Birmingham) threw to second to retire Celek, but Greene beat the throw down the line. Redwolves Manager Russell Carter argued with home plate umpire Jeff Andrews that interference should have been called on the play, but to no avail as he lost the arguement and was ejected from the game.

That brough up Demontez Jones (Georgia Southern), who worked the count full before drawing the second walk of the inning by the team, which provided Taylor Black (Kentucky) a chance to be the hero. He came through, grounding a 2 run single up the middle to put his team ahead 5-4.

"We were able to just keep it loose in the dugout, and see what happens," Coach Gronkiewicz said about the comeback. "You can't be tight and play this game."

It was all Florence early though. Columbia starter Tyler Webb (South Carolina) issued consecutive free passes to start the second inning, and the runners moved up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Austin Smetana (Francis Marion). Seth Neely (Clemson) and Peter Mooney (South Carolina) then provided run scoring singles to put their team ahead 2-0. Florence added one run a piece in the third and sixth innings before Columbia finally broke through with one in the bottom of the sixth, to set up the margin going into the 8th.

Closer Derrick Smith (Erskine) pitched the ninth for his third save of the year, striking out Mac Doyle (Wofford) and Neely to end the inning with runners on the corners.

NOTES: Columbia has now won 6 of their past 9, although they are just 3-7 against the Florence Redwolves this year... Florence had 11 hits on the night, compared to just 4 for Columbia. The Redwolves left 13 runners on base throughout the game... Columbia travels to Florence to complete a home-and-home series before returning home to take on the Wilson Tobs Friday July 23rd in the only matchup of the year between the two. Everyone in attendance will be entered for a chance to win 2 Atlanta Braves tickets. All college students will be admitted free with student ID.