Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.12 at Salem
Published on May 12, 2023 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Salem Red Sox at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark tonight at 7:05 pm. RHP Shane Panzini (1-1, 2.92 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia and Salem counters with Jedixson Paez (0-1, 7.88 ERA).
Columbia returns home Tuesday, May 23 to start a six-game series with the Charleston RiverDogs. The week marks the return of Copa de la Diversíon weekend presented by Southern Recipe Small Batch Pork Rinds, where the Fireflies will become Los Chiccarones de Columbia for the weekend. Friday, the Fireflies will give away a soccer scarf for the first 1,000 fans through the gates thanks to Southern Recipe Small Batch and Saturday, we'll have a fantastic fireworks display. Tickets are still available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES FALL AFTER LATE SALEM SURGE: The Fireflies offense couldn't survive a late Salem surge, as Columbia fell 4-1 at Carilion Clinic Field Friday night. Frank Mozzicato (L, 0-2) twirled 5.2 innings, fanning seven hitters and allowing only a pair of earned runs in the loss. Columbia's southpaw paces the Carolina League with 48 strikeouts on the season, five ahead of David Sandlin, who starts Saturday for Columbia (18-12). Salem (14-15) started out the scoring in the third. Yoriberto Mejicano led the inning off with a triple then scored off an Albert Felix double to end the dead heat. Luis Ravelo slapped a base knock to left to score Cutter Coffey. Columbia's lone run came in the fourth. Brett Squires led-off the frame with his first of two doubles on the night. He came around on an Erick Peña sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1. The Fireflies finished the night 0-9 with runners in scoring position.
I'M LOOKING AT THE MAN IN THE MIRROR: David Sandlin and Frank Mozzicato have gone back-and-forth on the strikeouts leader board for the Carolina League this season. Thursday it was Mozzicato who retook the lead with seven punchouts to leave him with 48 on the season. Sanlin next tosses in Saturday's contest. The next closest in the Carolina League is Fayetteville's Trey Dombrowski, who has 39 strikeouts on the campaign. Entering Sunday's game, the two Fireflies were also first and second in the circuit with 29.1 and 27.2 innings.
CLIMBING THE LADDER: The Fireflies pitching staff has been on a roll this season. As a whole, the team has a 3.01 ERA this season, which is good for the third-best team ERA in all of Minor League Baseball. The Tulsa Drillers pace the pack with a 2.74 ERA in their first 30 games. The Drillers have allowed six fewer earned runs than the Fireflies and have spun five more innings this season. ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰
COMEBACK KUDRNA: After a tough start to the year, the Royals number two prospect, according to MLB.com, Ben Kudrna has put together back-to-back impressive starts. The righty worked his first quality start of the season May 4 vs Myrtle Beach and prior to allowing a solo homer in the fourth inning May 10 at Salem, had a 14.2 inning scoreless streak. The streak was the longest scoreless streak for a pitcher in the Carolina League this season.
IT'S A MAJOR AWARD: Columbia's relief pitcher Steven Zobac allowed a runner to reach scoring position for the first time this season Tuesday night, but the righty didn't allow anyone to score. Zobac has not allowed a run in his first 11 innings of the season, giving him the third-longest scoreless stretch of the season in the Carolina League. His performance has been good enough to earn him Carolina League Pitcher of the Month honors. He's the first Fireflies player to win a Carolina League monthly award.
THE ROAD IS LONG: After the final two games of this series vs the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Fireflies will head on the road for back-to-back weeks. They will not return home until they play the Charleston RiverDogs May 23.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING: After Sunday's win against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Fireflies have now won three-consecutive series. They lost their lone game in the season-opener vs Augusta, Split a six-game set against Charleston and since have gone 4-2 vs Fayetteville, 6-2 at Augusta and 4-2 vs Myrtle Beach.
Carolina League Stories from May 12, 2023
- RiverDogs Whiff 18 GreenJackets in 11-6 Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- Nicasia Homers as Mudcats Win Second Straight 6-3 - Carolina Mudcats
- McCabe's Three Hits Not Enough as RiverDogs Even Series - Augusta GreenJackets
- Losing Skid Continues, Pelicans Lose 4-3 to Hillcats - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Fireflies One-Hit in 7-1 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- FredNats Drop Second Straight at Carolina - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Alexander Vallecillo Placed on Injured List - Carolina Mudcats
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.12 at Salem - Columbia Fireflies
- GreenJackets Players Visit Children's Hospital of Georgia - Augusta GreenJackets
- Fayetteville Woodpeckers to Host USA Baseball Collegiate National Team for Fourth of July Game - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Wood Ducks Drop Error Fest - Down East Wood Ducks
- Ramirez Dominates as Red Sox Defeat Fireflies - Salem Red Sox
- Ninth Inning Lead Slips Away, Pelicans Lose to Hillcats 8-5 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Rudy Gets First Career Win in 4-3 Carolina Victory - Carolina Mudcats
- Mancini Hurls Four Perfect Innings in Loss to Cannon Ballers - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Fredericksburg Dropped By Mudcats - Fredericksburg Nationals
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