Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 4.7 vs Myrtle Beach
Published on April 7, 2026 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies take on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans tonight at Segra Park at 7:05 pm. LHP Darwin Rodriguez makes his first start of the season for Columbia and Myrtle Beach counters with LHP Victor Zarraga.
Tonight is Opening Night at Segra Park! Join the Fireflies for an iconic night of baseball with a side of Miller Lite $2 Tuesday specials. Fans can purchase $2 hot dogs, popcorn, fountain sodas and 12 oz cans of Miller Lite at concession stands. Plus, all fans will receive a 2026 season magnet schedule giveaway courtesy of Service Experts. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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SOSA HOMERS AGAIN IN 5-2 LOSS: The Fireflies got another homer from Ivan Sosa to take a lead in the fifth inning, but it wasn't enough as a four-run eighth led to a 5-2 loss to the Hickory Crawdads Saturday night at L.P. Frans Stadium. Randy Ramnarace (BS, 1; L, 0-1) allowed a pair of hits and walked three to give up the four runs that pushed Hickory in front of the Fireflies. The big hit belonged to Luis Marquez who had a pinch-hit two RBI single against Brandon Herbold to give the Crawdads some insurance. Ivan Sosa led the charge again for the Fireflies bats. Yesterday, he homered to kick-off a five-run fifth inning. Tonight, Sosa led off the sixth inning with a solo shot.
STARTERS COOKING: Blake Wolters and Kendry Chourio have set a strong tone for the rotation across the first two games for the Fireflies. The pair combined for a 2.45 ERA over 7.1 innings with seven punchouts and a pair of walks. Opponents hit just .185 against them in the first two games, which gave the duo a 0.95 WHIP.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Last year, the Fireflies clinched their first playoff berth after finishing the first half 36-30 in order to earn a South Division title. In the first round of the playoffs, Columbia swept Myrtle Beach in a best-of-three series. In the second round of the playoffs, the Fireflies met the Lynchburg Hillcats and fell in the third game of the series, falling one game shy of the club's first championship. This year's roster features 17 returnees from the 2025 roster, including Blake Wolters and Kendry Chourio, who both started one of the three Championship Series games for the Fireflies.
SOME SERIOUS TALENT: The Fireflies have six of the Royals 30 top prospects on their Opening Day roster according to MLB Pipeline. Blake Wolters, Kendry Chourio and Michael Lombardi are the arms in the top 30 and Yandel Ricardo, Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond are the bats that are representing the list for Columbia. Wolters, Chourio and Ricardo are all returning to Columbia after spending time with the team during the 2025 season.
STRAPPING SOSA: Ivan Sosa has gotten off to a strong start to the 2026 season. The 21-year-old is 3-8 in his first three games with a double and two round-trippers. Last year, Sosa hit .240 with nine extra-base hits across 31 games in the ACL. He is the first Fireflies player to homer in back-to-back games since Josi Novas homered in consecutive games June 1-3, 2025.
REPPING THE DRAFT: The Fireflies are welcoming nine members of the 2025 draft to bolster the roster, including each of the Royals' top three selections. Sean Gamble was selected 23rd overall in the first round. Josh Hammond was selected 28th overall as a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick the Royals were granted after Bobby Witt Jr. finished in the top three of AL MVP voting in 2024. Michael Lombardi was selected 61st overall in the second round of the draft. In addition to those three, Brooks Bryan (C, 8th round), Shane Van Dam (RHP, 9th round), Max Martin (RHP, 10th round), J.C. Vanek (INF, 14th round), Connor Rasmussen (INF, 15th round) and Randy Ramnarace (RHP, 16th round) are also joining the team.
OPENING DAY: The Fireflies are 7-2 in home openers and have won four of their last five home openers. The Fireflies have also had six home openers decided by one run and are 5-1 in those contests.
Carolina League Stories from April 7, 2026
- Free Passes Galore as Augusta Gets First Win of Year - Augusta GreenJackets
- Augusta Rallies Past Delmarva to Win Back-And-Forth Affair - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Cremarosa Fans 12, RiverDogs Surge to First Win of 2026 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Ballers Fall to Late Inning Rally by Crawdads in Tuesday Series Opener - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Howlers Drop Home Opener - Hill City Howlers
- Bullpen Whiffs 11 in 5-1 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Peoples' Grand Slam Lifts FredNats to 4-0 to Open the Season - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Warbirds Drop Series Opener at Salem - Wilson Warbirds
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 4.7 vs Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
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