Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 4.13 vs Myrtle Beach
April 13, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans tonight at 6:05 pm. LHP Hunter Patteson (0-0, 0.00 ERA) gets the nod for Columbia and Myrtle Beach counters with RHP Juan Bello (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
Tonight is Princess Knight presented by Republic Services at Segra Park. Join four real life princesses along for fun promotions, great songs and some baseball at Segra Park. Stick around after the game as we celebrate the start of baseball season with our first fireworks show of the year. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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OFFENSE STAYS HOT IN 10-6 VICTORY OVER BIRDS: The Fireflies offense has been swinging the bat well this week, and that continued in Friday's 10-6 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Segra Park. The turning point for Columbia came in the fourth inning. After back-to-back one out errors allowed Lizandro Rodriguez and Milo Rushford to reach safely, Brennon McNair sliced a double to the right field corner, scoring Rodriguez to cut Myrtle Beach's lead to 4-3. Next, Erick Torres lined a single to right, scoring Rushford and tying the game. All-in-all, Columbia scored four, unearned runs off Dominic Hambley (L, 0-1) to take a 6-4 lead at the game's halfway point. The next inning, McNair added another hit. This time it was a single that plated Dionmy Salon and a hustling Lizandro Rodriguez so the Fireflies could double the Pelicans 8-4. Later, Austin Charles kept his hot stick going at the plate, lacing a double to left that scored Rushford and McNair to keep the Fireflies lead safe at 10-6 through seven frames.
FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS: The Fireflies kept the hot bats rolling with runners in scoring position. After starting the season 7-58 (.121) with runners threatening, Thursday night the Fireflies went 11-20 with runners in scoring position and last night the team went 7-21 with runners threatening. After the last two games, the Fireflies average with runners in scoring position is .253, which means they've more than doubled that mark in a pair of contests.
OPENING DAY PENA: Erick Pena is something of an opening day legend at Segra Park. The lefty hit a walk-off three-run blast against the Augusta GreenJackets in 2022 for his first home opener with the club and he kept his bat rolling yesterday against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. The Fireflies only mustered three hits despite scoring six runs in the win, but two of the hits ended up being big homers for the club. Pena started the scoring with a two-run blast that plated Austin Charles and flipped the script, giving Columbia a 2-1 lead in the second. It was the club's first home run of the campaign. Pena continued his hot start as he has collected at least one hit in each game this homestand.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING: It's early, but the Fireflies have two hitters who have a top-10 batting average in the Carolina League. Brennon McNair is riding a three-game hitting streak where he has been electric, raising his average to .462, the fourth-best mark in the Carolina League. McNair also paces the pack in on-base percentage at .632 and OPS at 1.324. Daniel Vazquez is still in the top-10 as well at a .417 batting average. Vazquez has the fourth-best on-base percentage too, a .563 mark. Vazquez has the second-most hits in the league (10) and the third-most walks (8).
WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS: After starting the season off 0-15, Austin Charles has been on a tear, going 7-9 after recording his first hit of the season Wednesday. He has a career-best four RBI in back-to-back games, which has catapulted him to the second-best mark in the league with 11 RBI this season, one behind Brandon Pimentel with the Fredericksburg Nationals.
WORK HORSE REYES: Last night, Emmanuel Reyes struggled out of the gate, allowing seven hits and four earned runs in the first two innings. After the second, he got back into cruise control and worked his second five inning start of the campaign. The righty is tied for the Carolina League lead with 10 innings of work. After striking out eight hitters Friday, he also is tied for eighth with five others who have recorded 10 strikeouts on the seasno. He's one behind teammate Mauricio Veliz for the team lead.
Carolina League Stories from April 13, 2024
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- Salem Wins Fifth Straight Over Delmarva - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Kannapolis Stumbles in Shutout Loss Saturday against Augusta - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Fireflies Secure Series Win, Shut Out Pelicans - Columbia Fireflies
- Monster Fourth Inning Powers Mudcats to Fourth Straight Win - Carolina Mudcats
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 4.13 vs Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
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