Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 4.16 vs Kannapolis
April 16, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies take on the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers today at 11 am. RHP Yunior Marte (0-0, 2.89 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia while Kannapolis challenges with southpaw Christian Oppor (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
Columbia closes out the month of April at Segra Park with some can't-miss promotions! The team is home from April 22-May 4 and will host USC Night presented by E.F. Martin April 24, Faith and Family Night presented by United Way of the Midlands April 26, Bluey at the Ballpark presented by South Carolina Department of Social Services May 3 and Star Wars Night presented by Founders Credit Union May 4. Buy your tickets now at FirefliesTickets.com.
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RAMIREZ HOMERS IN 6-2 LOSS TO KANNAPOLIS: The Fireflies fell 6-2 to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers after allowing three runs in the third inning Tuesday night at Atrium Health Ballpark. Ramon Ramirez got Columbia on the board with a solo homer in the fourth inning. The 410' blast cut Kannapolis' lead to 4-1. Ramirez is the first Fireflies player to homer in consecutive games since Blake Mitchell accomplished the feat August 8 and 9, 2024 against Kannapolis at Segra Park. Kannapolis jumped on top in the bottom of the first inning. With a pair of outs, Braden Montgomery slashed a solo homer over the right field fence to break the scoreless tie.
SPEED, I AM SPEED: Asbel Gonzalez swiped two more bases Tuesday, adding to his Carolina League leading total. The center fielder has 15 stolen bases. The next closest base stealer is Luis Pena and Tommy Hawke, who have 10 steals for the Mudcats and Hillcats, repectively, in the 2025 season. After Tuesday, Gonzalez also leads all of Minor League Baseball in steals. The next closest is Jacksonville's Jakob Marsee, who has 13 steals in 15 games. If that weren't enough, Gonzalez is also riding the team's longest hitting streak, a six-game stretch that began April 8. On the run, he is 12-23 (.522) with 10 stolen bases and five runs scored.
BULLISH ON THE PEN: Last week, the Fireflies bullpen was on a tear. After tallying an ERA over seven over the Opening Weeknd against the Augusta GreenJackets, relievers have allowed only eight runs in 38.1 innings since April 8. That's good for a 1.88 ERA in more than 5.1 innings per game over the Fireflies last seven contests. Tuesday, Columbia continued that roll as the bullpen surrendered only one earned run over 5.2 innings.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING: Yesterday, Colton Becker had his six-game hitting streak come to an end. The righty was 7-19 at the plate with a .368 average since April 6 when the streak began. It is tied with Stone Russell and Asbel Gonzalez for the longest hitting streak of the season for the Fireflies. The Fireflies have had three of nine hitting streaks that are at least six games in the Carolina League this year.
WE'RE ONLY GETTING STARTED: Ramon Ramirez had his second multi-hit game of the season Sunday--this time with a pair of homers. The righty became the second Fireflies player to notch six RBI in a game after hitting a grand slam and a two-run homer in the first three innings against Charleston. He joined Derlin Figueroa who accomplished the feat the previous Sunday at Augusta. After that, the backstop stayed hot Tuesday when he homered in the fourth inning. He became the first Fireflies player since Blake Mitchell to homer in consecutive games. Mitchell accomplished the feat August 8-9, 2024.
MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF: Derlin Figueroa has been on a roll to start the 2025 season and it continued Sunday against the Charleston RiverDogs when he slapped his third homer of the year. Figueroa leads the Carolina League with three homers and is tied for third in the league with 12 RBI. Homer number three of the year gave Figueroa 16 in his Fireflies career, which is just a pair behind Blake Mitchell for fourth-most in Fireflies history.
NO PROBLEM WITH INHERITANCE: Last night, Fireflies relievers stranded all three runners they inherited. So far this season, Columbia's pen has stranded 12 of 15 (80%) runners they've inherited from the previous pitcher.
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