Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 4.20 at Charleston
April 20, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies kick-off their weekend with a 6:05 contest with the Charleston RiverDogs at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park tonight. Southpaw Hunter Patteson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) gets the nod for Columbia and Charleston counters with RHP Owen Wild (0-0, 3.24 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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BULLPEN STYMIES LATE RALLY, FIREFLIES WIN 3-2: The Fireflies kept Charleston off the board until the ninth inning as they won 3-2 over the Charleston RiverDogs Friday evening at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park to even their series at two games a piece heading into the weekend. Felix Arronde (W, 2-0) continued his magnificent start to the 2024 season. The righty didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning and left the game after five innings where he allowed a single hit and one walk while punching out four hitters. On the season, Arronde has allowed one run across 14 innings while punching out 14 opposing batters. He has allowed eight baserunners on the stretch (0.67 WHIP).
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 nine-game hitting streak that began April 10. During the run, he is 13-31 (.419) at the plate with one homer and an incredible 12 RBI. His streak has the fifth-most RBI in the circuit this season, but Charles sits with 14, just two behind league leader Brandon Pimentel in Fredericksburg. His hitting streak is tied for the longest hitting streak in the Carolina League.
QUALITY BOSACKER: Ethan Bosacker became the first Fireflies pitcher to notch a quality start during the 2024 season yesterday. The righty has gotten off to a great push this year. After five scoreless frames from the bullpen in his first appearance of the year at Segra Park, yesterday he went six innings, allowing a single hit (a homerun) while punching out seven. He's tied for the team lead with 12 punchouts and has a 0.81 ERA this year.
MARVELOUS MITCHELL: The Fireflies back stop has been riding a hot streak fueled by patience at the plate. He currently is tied for the second-longest on-base streak in the Carolina League, an 11-game stretch that began April 6. On the run he is 11-40 (.275) with an incredible 15 walks which have pushed his on-base percentage to .482.
BLISTERING BULLPEN: Despite giving up the lead late Tuesday afternoon, the Fireflies bullpen has been a walking highlight reel for the 2024 season so far. The pen is 4-4 through its first 55.1 innings of work and has 65 punchouts while spinning to the tune of a 2.60 ERA. To put that into perspective, as a whole, the Fireflies have a 3.34 ERA this season, which is good for the fifth-best Single-A ERA. The top mark in the Carolina League belongs to the Augusta GreenJackets, who as a team have a 2.89 ERA. In other words, if you can get the game to the Fireflies bullpen with the lead, you're in good hands this year.
MARGIN OF VICTORY: It's wild to think about, but when the Fireflies have lost, they haven't lost by much. The club is 8-5 this season and of those five losses, four have been by a single run--with two coming in extra innings. Their fifth loss was also in extra innings, but it came by a pair of runs. This season, the Fireflies have the highest run-differential in the Carolina League as they have outscored opponents by 32 runs in their first 13 games.
I'M COMING HOME: This year, the Fireflies have a 3-4 record away from Segra Park, but the team has been hot at home, taking five of their six contest in the friendly confines.
LUCKY 8: The Fireflies have outscored opponents 15-1 during the eighth inning of their games this season.
Carolina League Stories from April 20, 2024
- Pimentel's Grand Slam Proves Key In 5-2 Win - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Surrendered Slam Saddles Woodpeckers with Loss in Fredericksburg - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Bullpen Falters as Home Side Falls on Augusta Rams Night - Augusta GreenJackets
- Pelicans and Cannon Ballers Suspended on Saturday Night - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Mudcats Complete Another Comeback, Win Fourth Straight - Carolina Mudcats
- Late Runs Lead Columbia to Third Straight Win over RiverDogs - Charleston RiverDogs
- Late Offense Pushes Columbia to 3-1 Victory - Columbia Fireflies
- Wood Ducks Suffer Shutout Loss - Down East Wood Ducks
- Shorebirds Shut out Wood Ducks - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 4.20 at Charleston - Columbia Fireflies
- Acosta Transferred to Biloxi - Carolina Mudcats
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