CarL Columbia Fireflies

Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.11 vs Salem

May 11, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release


The Fireflies kick-off their weekend at Segra Park with a 6:05 pm showcase vs the Salem Red Sox. RHP Emmnauel Reyes (1-1, 6.04 ERA) gets the nod for Columbia and Salem counters with righty Blake Wehunt (1-0, 1.15 ERA).

Tonight is Star Wars Night presented by Founders Federal Credit Union. Join us as we try to bring balance to the force and upset the evil Salem empire tonight at Segra Park. We'll have game worn Darth Vadar jerseys available for auction at MiLBauctions.com and we'll celebrate the Rise of Skywalker with a post-game fireworks display. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.

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TWO-RUN SACRIFICE FLY POWERS EXTRAS WIN: After being no-hit through 10 frames, the bats found their groove. Columbia unseated Salem 5-4 in 11 innings after Austin Charles launched a two-run sacrifice fly to right-center to score Derlin Figueroa and Chris Brito Friday night at Segra Park. The bats came to life after CJ Weins walked the bases loaded with no one out in the 11th. Chris Brito laced a double up the first baseline to break-up Salem's no-hitter and score Erick Torres and Blake Mitchell, bringing the score to 4-3. Salem led, but Derlin Figueroa was 90 feet away from tying the game and Brito was in scoring position with no one out for Austin Charles. The ball made it into the infield before Brito burned around third to give the Fireflies their second walk-off win of the season. The last one came April 9 on a wild pitch that scored Torres against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on opening night.

MAKE TEN MEN FEEL LIKE A HUNDRED: The Fireflies were one-hit Friday night, but still eked out an 11-inning 5-4 victory. The series is tied two games a piece despite the Fireflies being outhit 26-16 in the first four games.

ALL ABOUT ALDERAAN: Thursday, left-handed hitter Derlin Figueroa mashed his third homer of the season. It was a two-run blast that produced the only runs of the day for Columbia. All three of the infielders homers have come at Segra Park this year and all three of them have gone out to the right field lawn area.

A NEW HOPE: Ethan Bosacker, has the second-best ERA in the Carolina League, a 1.09 mark that is just .28 behind League leader Matt Wilkinson. Lynchburg's starter last pitched May 7 and allowed multiple runs in an outing for the first time on the year. Bosacker is also third in opposing average (.159) and first in WHIP (0.75) in the Carolina League.

COME ON BABY! DO THE MAGIC HAND THING: Jarold Rosado has been great out of the bullpen this season. He has a 1.93 ERA after allowing a 10.38 ERA in 2023. His success continued in his three appearances (5 IP, 9 K) since the start of last week. On the season, the young pitcher has worked 14 innings in nine games. He has allowed three earned runs and punched out 19. The real secret to his success this year is that his walk rate is down from 16.7% in 2023 to only 5.4% in 2024.

YOUR EYES CAN DECEIVE YOU; DON'T TRUST THEM: Thursday, Ethan Bosacker spun the Fireflies third quality start of the season as he exited in the seventh with Columbia leading 2-1. It was the righty's second quality start of the year. The other belongs to Felix Arronde. Surprisingly, the Fireflies record is 0-3 in games where their starter spins a quality start.

IN MY EXPERIENCE, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS LUCK: Saturday night, Fireflies outfielder Erick Pena mashed his Carolina League-leading fourth round tripper of the season. He's currently eighth in the Carolina League with a .485 on-base percentage. Pena has had a storied career with Columbia. He made the Opening Day Roster in 2022 and started his career with a bang, launching a walk-off homer against the Augusta GreenJackets on Opening Night. All-in-all he has mashed 23 homers in the neon and navy, nine in 2022, 10 in 2023 and four this year. It places him second on the Fireflies all-time homer leaderboard, behind Dash Winningham (25 in 2016 and 2017) and tied with Juan Carlos Negret (23 in 2021).

Check out the Columbia Fireflies Statistics



Carolina League Stories from May 11, 2024


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