Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.27 at Kannapolis
Published on May 27, 2024 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies travel to Concord, NC where they take on the first-place Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Atrium Health Ballpark at 6:30 pm. RHP Blake Wolter (0-0, 4.37 ERA) gets the nod for Columbia and Kannapolis counters with RHP Jake Bockenstedt (2-3, 2.54 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.
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FIREFLIES TAKE SERIES WITH 7-3 WIN SUNDAY: The Fireflies used another big performance from the bats, as they scored four in the seventh inning to beat the Delmarva Shorebirds 7-3 Sunday afternoon at Perdue Stadium. The Fireflies broke the scoreless tie in the top of the first inning. After Lizandro Rodriguez roped a lead-off single, he came home later in the inning off an Austin Charles sacrifice fly, granting Columbia a 1-0 lead. Charles was also responsible for the Firelfies second run. He slapped a base knock to third, allowing Figueroa to come around to double Columbia's lead. In the fifth, Derlin Figueroa and Daniel Vazquez laced back-to-back doubles with two outs to move Columbia's lead to 3-0 over the Shorebirds.
WE'RE GOING STREAKING: Derlin Figueroa started a 13-game hitting streak May 12, and he is 20-49 (.408) with three homers and nine RBI. His hitting streak is the longest active streak in the Carolina League. It's the Fireflies' longest hitting streak since Eduardo Fermin hit safely in 13-straight contests from June 14-July 1, 2018. If that hitting streak weren't enough, Figueroa is also on a 19-game on-base streak, which is one game behind Miguel Bleis for the longest active streak in the League. It's the longest on-base streak for the Fireflies since 2022.
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 1.81 mark that is just .69 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. Wilkinson was called up to Lake County May 22. Bosacker is one of four Fireflies pitchers who have logged enough innings to be in the top-10 innings eaters in the Carolina League. The righty was selected from Xavier University in the 13th roudn of the 2023 draft and in a starting and piggy back roll this year, he has proven to be a critical piece of the Fireflies pitching staff.
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).
Carolina League Stories from May 27, 2024
- Ballers Winning Streak Ends with Loss in Series Opener against Fireflies - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Martin Collects Four-Inning Save in 5-4 Win - Columbia Fireflies
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 5.27 at Kannapolis - Columbia Fireflies
- GreenJackets Homestand Preview #6 - Augusta GreenJackets
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