Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.18 vs Charleston
May 18, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies take on the Charleston RiverDogs tonight at Segra Park at 6:05 pm. RHP Felix Arronde (2-3, 3.24 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia and Charleston counters with southpaw Drew Dowd (0-1, 3.46 ERA).
Tonight we're celebrating Copa de la Diversion weekend presented by Southern Recipe Small Batch Pork Rinds. We'll have wonderful entertainment on the field as the Zooperstars! will be dancing between innings. We'll also have live music and dugout dancers at the park. Finally, we'll wrap up the night with a wonderful fireworks show. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
-------------------------------------
CHARLES' TWO HOMER NIGHT POWERS CHICHARRONES TO 4-2 WIN: The Fireflies were lifted up by the bat of Austin Charles in his first two homer game of his career in a 4-2 win over the Charleston RiverDogs Friday night at Segra Park. On the first night of Copa de La Diversion weekend, Charles smoked lead-off homers in the sixth and eighth innings that ended up being the difference maker for Los Chicharrones (19-16). It was Columbia's first two-homer game since Trevor Werner accomplished the feat August 22 last year in Carolina. Charles now has five homers and 26 RBI, which are both tied for the third-most in the Carolina League this season. Emmanuel Reyes turned in his best start of the season. The righty worked five scoreless innings, tying a season high with eight punchouts, including each of the last three hitters he faced before turning to the Fireflies bullpen.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING: The Fireflies bats have woken up as we head to the weekend. Two Fireflies players are riding six-game hitting streaks. Jhonny Perdomo started his stretch May 9 and is 7-20 (.350) during the run with one RBI. Derlin Figueroa's streak started a bit later, May 12, and he is 8-21 (.381) with one homer and four RBI, including his RBI triple last night that broke the scoreless tie in the third inning. Austin Charles owns the Fireflies longest hitting streak of the season, a nine-game stretch from April 10-23.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Tuesday, left-handed hitter Derlin Figueroa mashed his fourth homer of the season. It was a solo blast that produced the only run of the day for Columbia. All four of the infielders homers have come at Segra Park this year and all four of them have gone out to the right field lawn area. It's not just Figueroa who has found the long ball at Segra Park this year. The Fireflies have 22 long balls this season and 18 of them have come at the friendly confines.
A NEW HOPE: Ethan Bosacker, has the second-best ERA in the Carolina League, a 1.51 mark that is just .49 behind League leader Matt Wilkinson. Lynchburg's starter last pitched May 12 where he allowed one run over five innings of work. Bosacker is also third in opposing average (.181) and second in WHIP (0.81) in the Carolina League.
IT'S ALL ROSES HERE: Jarold Rosado has been great out of the bullpen this season. He has a 2.16 ERA after allowing a 10.38 ERA in 2023. His success continued in his five appearances (5.2 IP, 9 K) since the start of May. On the season, the young pitcher has worked 16.2 innings in 11 games. He has allowed four earned runs and punched out 23. The real secret to his success this year is that his walk rate is down from 16.7% in 2023 to only 4.4% in 2024.
POWERING PENA: 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 leadboard, behind Dash Winningham (25 in 2016 and 2017) and tied with Juan Carlos Negret (23 in 2021).
RISP-Y BUSINESS: Last night the Fireflies and RiverDogs combined to hit 1-19 with runners in scoring position.
Carolina League Stories from May 18, 2024
- Shorebirds Hold off Hillcats in Back-And-Forth Thriller - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Hillcats Edged by Shorebirds, 7-6 - Lynchburg Hillcats
- 'Jackets Hold off Late Test to Outlast Red Sox 7-5 - Augusta GreenJackets
- RiverDogs Lose Big Lead, Rebound to Even Series at Segra Park - Charleston RiverDogs
- Pertuz Homers Twice in 8-4 Win over Nationals - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Fireflies Erase Six-Run Deficit in Dramatic Saturday Affair - Columbia Fireflies
- Pelican Power Surge Topples FredNats - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Mudcats and Wood Ducks Postponed Saturday - Carolina Mudcats
- Wood Ducks Game Postponed - Down East Wood Ducks
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.18 vs Charleston - Columbia Fireflies
- Wood Ducks Hold off Mudcats - Down East Wood Ducks
- Late Run Propels Down East Past Mudcats - Carolina Mudcats
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
