CarL Columbia Fireflies

Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 4.28 at Augusta

Published on April 28, 2023 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release


The Fireflies continue their series with the Augusta GreenJackets tonight at SRP Park with a doubleheader beginning at 5:05 pm. RHP Ben Kudrna (0-2, 11.70 ERA) toes the rubber in game one and LHP Oscar Rayo (0-0, 0.00 ERA) gets the nod in game two for Columbia. Meanwhile, Augusta sends RHP Owen Murphy (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the bump for game one and RHP Nolan Martinez (0-0, 3.86 ERA) to the hill for game two.

After the week on the road, Columbia returns home to face the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in a six-game set from May 2-7 at Segra Park. The week will see the return of Human Cannonball night, presented by Columbia College May 4 and our annual Star Wars Night, presented by Blanchard Machinery with a Mandalorian Jersey Auction benefitting Make-a-Wish SC May 6. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.

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FIREFLIES LOSE GAME ONE OF WASHED AWAY TWIN BILL: The Fireflies fell 3-0 to the Augusta GreenJackets in a rain-shortened game one of a doubleheader at SRP Park Thursday night before game two was postponed due to rain. The new formatting of the remainder of this series will be a doubleheader beginning at 5:05 pm tomorrow, a single game starting at 6:05 pm Saturday and a doubleheader scheduled for 1:05 pm Sunday. Game One The GreenJackets burst out of the gates in the first, scoring three runs off Mauricio Veliz. David McCabe struck first, doubling to right to plate Ethan Workinger. After an EJ Exposito sacrifice fly, Augusta led 3-0 prior to the end of the first. After the first, Mauricio Veliz (L, 0-1) was able to settle down, tossing a pair of scoreless innings prior to handing the ball to the bullpen. Mack Anglin tossed the only inning of relief that was necessary and struck out all three hitters he faced.

CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARD: After a career-high 11 punch-out performance April 26, David Sandlin paces the Carolina League with 31 strikeouts on the year. The next closest is his teammaate, Frank Mozzicato, who has fanned 26 batters and is due to start game one of Saturday's doubleheader scheduled with Augusta.

STERLING STARTERS: Through the first 16 games, Columbia's starting pitchers have been outstanding, allowing only 23 earned runs in 71.1 innings of work (2.90 ERA). The run includes 12.1 consecutive scoreless innings from Frank Mozzicato, Shane Panzini and David Sandlin from April 10-12. Mozzicato earned Columbia's first quality start of the season Tuesday, April 18 against Fayetteville and Panzini got the second one April 26. They've also punched out a combined 93 opposing hitters.

FRANKIE CURVEBALL: Kansas City's 2021 first-round pick has allowed only a single run in three starts for the Fireflies in 2023, fanning 26 hitters in 15 innings while holding opponents to a .200 average. Mozzicato set a franchise record with 13 strikeouts in a single game last Tuesday, breaking the previous record of 11 held by Tony Dibrell since April 26, 2018.

WE'RE GOING STREAKING: The Fireflies bullpen has caught fire. Columbia's relievers didn't allow a run in 17 consecutive innings until they allowed a single run in the eighth Saturday night. The pen finished the night with one run across eight innings and has surrendered one run in its last 28.2 innings (0.31 ERA) The stretch has brought the club's bullpen ERA down from 5.85 to 3.47 for the season.

FIRST ONE FOR McMILLON: In his third season with the Columbia Fireflies, April 15, John McMillon came into game two of the doubleheader with a one run lead in the bottom of the seventh and closed out the game for his first professional save. It was the reliever's 41st appearance in professional baseball. Since earning the save, he has been able to add a win and a second save in consecutive appearances. This season he has worked six innings, striking out 11 hitters without ceding a run. If that weren't enough, in his save opportunity April 26, he wrung up four hitters in an inning, becoming the second Fireflies player to do so, joining Marlin Willis, who accomplished the feat in the eighth inning vs Myrtle Beach August 17, 2022.

Check out the Columbia Fireflies Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from April 28, 2023


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