Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.25 at Delmarva
May 25, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Delmarva Shorebirds tonight at Perdue Stadium at 7:05 pm. LHP Hunter Patteson (2-3, 2.97 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia and Delmarva counters with RHP Blake Money (0-2, 5.02 ERA).
The Fireflies return to Segra Park June 4 to start a set with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Help the team unmask some villains Saturday, June 8 for Scooby-Doo! Night presented by Escapology. The club will also be giving away a piece of history, as the first 1,000 fans will receive a Tyler Tolbert Bobblehead Friday, June 7 thanks to SAFE Federal Credit Union. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com
------------------------
PTICHER'S DUEL RUNS TO EXTRAS IN 1-0 LOSS: The Fireflies and Delmarva Shorebirds were locked into a pitcher's duel that lasted 10 innings before ultimately ending in a 1-0 loss Friday at Perdue Stadium. Delmarva scored the fatal run in the bottom of the 10th. With two outs and the bases loaded, Josh Hansell (L, 0-1) surrendered a line drive single to Kevin Guerrero, allowing Angel Tejada to score the only run of the game. Felix Arronde ripped off his second quality start of the season, firing six scoreless frames while punching out a handful of Delmarva hitters in a no-decision. He was matched by two arms for the Shorebirds. Starter Trey Gibson went 4.2 innings and the first arm out of the pen, Jacob Cravey went 2.1 innings before Columbia made it a bullpen game heading into the seventh inning scoreless. The Fireflies are now 0-6 this season when the starter tosses a quality start.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING: Derlin Figueroa started a 11-game hitting streak May 12, and he is 17-41 (.415) with two homers and eight RBI. His hitting streak is the longest active streak in the Carolina League. It's the Fireflies' longest hitting streak since Trevor Werner hit safely in 12-straight contests from August 15-29, 2023. If that hitting streak weren't enough, Figueroa is also on a 17-game on-base streak, which is one game behind Miguel Bleis for the longest active streak in the League. It's the second-longest on-base streak for a Fireflies hitter this year (Blake Mitchell, 18).
MAY FLOWERS: After having some trouble in April, Logan Martin and Emmanuel Reyes have come into their own again in the month of May. Reyes recorded a 6.04 ERA with 23 punchouts in 25.1 innings in April before surging with a 3.00 ERA in his first three starts in May. He also has brought the swing and miss stuff, striking out 20 in his first 15 frames this month. Martin has a 1.69 ERA after a 6.23 ERA in April and has spun 16 innings after just 13 last month.
A NEW HOPE: Ethan Bosacker, has the second-best ERA in the Carolina League, a 1.77 mark that is just .65 behind League leader Matt Wilkinson. Lynchburg's starter last pitched May 19 where he allowed one run over five innings of work. Bosacker is also fifth in opposing average (.185) and second in WHIP (0.81) in the Carolina League.
SPOILING QUALITY STARTS: Friday, Felix Arronde worked six shutout frames before handing the ball to the bullpen in what turned out to be a 1-0 loss in 10 innings. Columbia has had some trouble winning ballgames when their starter spins a quality start. The club is 0-6 when their starter goes six innings or longer and allows three or fewer runs this year.
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).
ROAD BLUES: This year, Columbia has sat right around .500 on the season. They'll played well at home, going 14-11 in their first 25 contests at Segra Park, but are 7-9 away from the friendly confines to start the year.
Carolina League Stories from May 25, 2024
- Hot Start Lifts Mudcats Past Pelicans - Carolina Mudcats
- Woodpeckers Rally from Six Run Deficit to Shock Salem in Extras - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Hillcats Erupt in 12th to Beat FredNats - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Late Rally Falls Short, Pelicans Fall to Mudcats 4-3 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- GreenJackets Swept by Cannon Ballers in Saturday Doubleheader - Augusta GreenJackets
- Columbia Defeats Delmarva in High-Scoring Affair - Delmarva Shorebirds
- RiverDogs Blanked by Wood Ducks in Fourth Straight Loss - Charleston RiverDogs
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.25 at Delmarva - Columbia Fireflies
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.
