Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.2 vs Myrtle Beach
May 2, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies kick-off a homestand at Segra Park vs the Myrtle Beach Pelicans tonight at 7:05 pm. RHP David Sandlin (2-0, 3.38 ERA) gets the nod for Columbia and Myrtle Beach counters with RHP Michael Arias (0-1, 4.00 ERA).
Tonight is a Miller Lite $2 Tuesday brought to you by Aflac. Fans can enjoy $2 soft drinks, popcorn, hot dogs and 12 oz cans of Miller Lite at the ballpark. Tickets are still available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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HOLLIE CLOBBERS FOUR HOMERS IN HOMETOWN: David Hollie had a four homer day as the Fireflies had two slugfest victories over the Augusta GreenJackets 13-4 and 9-3 at SRP Park Sunday afternoon. Game 1 Columbia displayed their power at the plate in game one of the doubleheader. The Fireflies saw four players hit their first homers of the season, including Brennon McNair who mashed the team's first grand slam of the season to cap-off a season-high six-run sixth. McNair's slam was the first Fireflies grand slam since Tyler Tolbert and Kale Emshoff hit grand slams August 11, 2021 vs the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. David Hollie broke through with his second homer of the day in the bottom of the second, putting the Fireflies up 1-0 in game two of the doubleheader. That wasn't all Hollie did. He ended up homering again in the fourth to put Columbia up 4-0. Then again in the bottom of the fifth to give Columbia their final three runs of the contest. The outfielder finished the day 4-6 with four homers and seven RBI. He's the first Fireflies player to homer three times in a game and is the first player to homer multiple times in a game and in back-to-back games. As an added bonus, Hollie got to take advantage of having an incredible performance in front of his home crowd.
IT'S A MAJOR AWARD: David Hollie's heroics Sunday, when he hit four homers and drove in seven RBI across a doubleheader for Columbia were good enough to earn him Carolina League Player of the Week honors. Hollie is the first Fireflies player to win a weekly award since River Town did so last April.
CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARD: Frank Mozzicato etched eight punchouts vs the Augusta GreenJackets Saturday to reclaim the Carolina League lead in punchouts this season with 34 in his first four performances. He nabbed the number one spot from his teammate, David Sandlin, who sits at 31 heading into the end at April.
WE'RE GOING SQUIRES DANCING: First baseman Brett Squires is the first Fireflies player to have a hitting streak longer than five games this year. Squires has hit safely in seven-consecutive games, a stretch that began April 26. During the run, the Oklahoma-product is 10-24 (.417) with three doubles and a homer. He has driven in five runs and scored seven during the run.
GLOWING ARMS PAVING PATH: The Fireflies team ERA through the first 21 games of the season is 3.12, which is the fifth-best mark in all of Minor League Baseball. Dunedin leads the way with an absurd 2.37 ERA in their first 21 games. The Fireflies find themselves in second place in the Carolina League, trailing the Carolina Mudcats, who have a 3.10 ERA in their first 19 contests.
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.
Carolina League Stories from May 2, 2023
- Cruz Homers in Woodpeckers' Series-Opening Loss to Salem - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Bats Break Free as RiverDogs Handle Hillcats 9-5 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Offensive Explosion Powers Augusta to Extra-Inning Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- Thomas Walks It Off Against Down East - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Fireflies Win Fourth Straight to Claim First - Columbia Fireflies
- Wood Homers as Mudcats Outlast Shorebirds 9-7 - Carolina Mudcats
- Shorebirds Fall to Mudcats in Series Opener - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.2 vs Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
- Jimenez and Fernandez Promoted; Rudy and Lara Added - Carolina Mudcats
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