
Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 4.17 at Charleston
April 17, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the RiverDogs tonight at 7:05 pm at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. RHP Ethan Bosacker (0-0, 0.00 ERA) gets the nod for Columbia and Charleston counters with RHP Santiago Suarez (1-0, 0.00 ERA).
The Fireflies return home April 23 for a six-game set with the Augusta GreenJackets at Segra Park. Friday, April 26 will be the inaugural Carolina Grits game at Segra Park. We're celebrating with a Grits bobble spoon giveaway. Get your tickets at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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FIREFLIES COME UP SHORT IN OPENER IN CHARLESTON: The Fireflies jumped out to a quick lead, but couldn't hold on as the club fell to the Charleston RiverDogs 3-2 Tuesday afternoon at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. The Fireflies crossed the plate first in Tuesday's showdown. In the top of the second, Drew Dowd hit Erick Pena with a pitch. Next, Jhonny Perdomo lined a single to center that moved Pena to third. After that, Lizandro Rodriguez grounded into a fielder's choice that plated Pena and pushed Columbia to a 1-0 lead. After a stolen base and an Erick Torres single, Torres was caught stealing second, but the ensuing scramble allowed Rodriguez to score to put the visiting team up 2-0.
YOU CAN COUNT ON CHARLES: After a slow start to the 2024 season, Austin Charles has put himself right back on top with the rest of the Carolina League Leaders. The Fireflies third baseman is riding a six-game hitting streak that began April 10. During the run, he is 10-21 (.476) at the plate with one homer and an incredible 10 RBI. His streak has the fourth most RBI in the circuit this season, but Charles sits with 12, just two behind league leader Brandon Pimentel in Fredericksburg.
BLISTERING BULLPEN: Despite giving up the lead late yesterday afternoon, the Fireflies bullpen has been a walking highlight reel for the 2024 season so far. The pen is 3-3 through its first 49.1 innings of work and has 54 punchouts while spinning to the tune of a 2.37 ERA. To put that into perspective, as a whole, the Fireflies have a 3.40 ERA this season, which is good for the eighth-best Single-A ERA. The top mark in the Carolina League belongs to the Augusta GreenJackets, who as a team have a 2.56 ERA. In other words, if you can get the game to the Fireflies bullpen with the lead, you're in good hands this year.
UH-OH: Yesterday, the Fireflies had some trouble after runners got on the basepaths. The team went just 1-14 (.071) with runners in scoring position in the opener against the Charleston RiverDogs.
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. 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. The outfielder is currently riding a six-game hitting streak, which is tied for the longest of his career.
GET HIM ON, MOVE HIM OVER, AND SCORE: Erick Torres has been incredible in the lead-off spot this season. The center fielder is tied for the second-most hits (13) and the seventh-most walks (9) in the Carolina League, which has allowed him to steal four bases and score the third-most runs (9) in the circuit this season.
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 season.
Carolina League Stories from April 17, 2024
- Pitching Walks 17, Pelicans Bounced 17-8, by Cannon Ballers - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- GreenJackets Held Hitless in Final Six Frames, Fall 7-3 to Mudcats - Augusta GreenJackets
- Peguero Comes Through As Riverdogs Walk-Off Fireflies 3-2 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Nicasia Homers Again as Mudcats Even Series - Carolina Mudcats
- Bosacker Quality Start Not Enough in 3-2 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Big FredNats Innings Foil Woodpeckers in Day Game - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Gomez's Blast Lifts Woodpeckers Past FredNats in Series Opener - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Nationals Light Up Fayetteville 16-7 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Red Sox Home Struggles Continue in Wednesday Loss to Lynchburg - Salem Red Sox
- Wood Ducks Walk-Off Shorebirds in Extra Innings - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Wood Ducks Win in 10 on Education Day - Down East Wood Ducks
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 4.17 at Charleston - Columbia Fireflies
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