Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.22 at Kannapolis
May 22, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers today at Atrium Health Ballpark at 6:30 pm. RHP Yunior Marte (3-1, 2.87 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia and Kannapolis counters with southpaw Grant Umberger (1-0, 3.60 ERA).
Columbia comes back to Segra Park to face the Fayetteville Woodpeckers Memorial Day week! The team will celebrate with $1 Busch Light for Thirsty Thursday May 29 on Country Night. The next day, we'll find our beach for Margaritaville Night. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will get a Hawaiian T-shirt courtesy of AMAROK. Then Saturday is the best Dad-Daughter Date Night in Columbia. Join us for Princess Knight with a pre-game tea party and a post-game fireworks show May 31. Buy your tickets now at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FOUR IN THE EIGHTH BEATS COLUMBIA 6-3: The Fireflies took a 3-2 lead to the eighth inning where Kannapolis hung four to beat the Fireflies 6-3 Wednesday night at Atrium Health Ballpark. Caleb Bonemer started the inning reaching on a fielding error from Derlin Figueroa. After that, Calvin Harris doubled to move runners to second and third wtih no outs. Lyle Miller-Green bunted the first run of the inning in off Henson Leal (BS, 1; L, 1-3) and then back-to-back runners reached safely to add another pair, granting Kannapolis a 6-3 lead. Jack Young (W, 1-0) closed out the night with two scoreless innings for Kannapolis to keep the Fireflies bats at bay.
SPEED, I AM SPEED: Asbel Gonzalez is now second in the Carolina League in stolen bases with 36 on the season. He trails Tommy Hawke, who has 41. Gonzalez is also second to Hawke for the most runs scored in the League (36). Gonzalez also has the league's sixth-best batting average with a mark of .319. Tuesday, Gonzalez became the first Fireflies player to hit a lead-off homer since Jean Ramirez did it at Kannapolis July 14, 2022. It was the center fielder's first homer of the season and the second of his career.
MASTER OF THE MISS: Friday, Yunior Marte earned his second quality start of the season to get his team-leading third win of 2025. The righty hasn't allowed a run since April 27. He has worked 15.2-consecutive innings without surrendering a run, spanning three starts. During the stretch, Marte's ERA has dropped from 4.84 to 2.87. Marte ranks among the league leaders in Innings Pitched (37.2, 1st), ERA (2.87, 7th), Wins (3, 4th), Strikeouts (36, 5th), Opposing Average (.207, 6th) and WHIP (1.09, 5th).
HOME SWEET HOME: The Fireflies finished their 12-game homestand 9-3 against the Carolina Mudcats and Hickory Crawdads. The team has been red-hot at Segra Park this season, going 16-8 at home compared to a 7-10 record over their first nine road contests of the 2025 season.
RAKING RAMIREZ: Saturday, Ramon Ramirez rewrote the Fireflies record book. He hit Columbia's first walk-off homer since Erick Pena homered May 3, 2023. He had the Fireflies first two homer game since he accomplished the feat April 13. He had Columbia's first five RBI game since he had a six RBI game April 13. He has also homered in back-to-back games for the first time since Brennon McNair did so April 19 and 22. Ramirez leads the Carolina League with eight homers and 36 RBI. He is also third in runs scored with 31.
ON A ROLL: Fireflies reliever Nick Conte got off to a slow start in 2025, but he has hit his stride over his last four games. Tuesday, Conte pitched more than one inning for the first time this year, striking out four batters in 1.2 scoreless innings vs Augusta. After recording a 15.63 ERA over 6.1 innings in April, Conte has a 0.00 ERA in his first 3.2 innings in May. The righty has allowed only one hit over his last three appearances and he has wrung up seven.
I GUESS THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT THE BLUES: The Fireflies are 2-7 this season when they wear their navy blue uniforms. The team has played best in their neon uniforms this year. They are 7-1 when they wear the glowing uniforms.
Carolina League Stories from May 22, 2025
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.22 at Kannapolis - Columbia Fireflies
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