Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.1 at Kannapolis
June 1, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies kick-off their weekend with a 7 pm match-up vs the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Atrium Health Ballpark. RHP Ethan Bosacker (4-1, 1.81 ERA) takes the ball for Columbia and Kannapolis counters with RHP Seth Keener (2-1, 2.70 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 BATS SILENCED FRIDAY: The Fireflies bats couldn't get going as they were shutout for the second time this season in a 4-0 loss to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Atrium Health Ballpark Friday night.The Cannon Ballers got the scoring started in the bottom of the second inning. Ryan Burrowes started the damage, singling to score Arxy Hernandez to break the scoreless tie. Later, with Burrowes at third base, Drake Logan punched a single through the middle to increase Kannapolis' lead to 2-0. The next inning, the Cannon Ballers doubled their lead. Ryan Galanie came around on Columbia's second throwing error of the night and later in the frame, Hernandez lifted a sacrifice fly, allowing Caden Connor to score and making Kannapolis' lead 4-0.
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 2.57 ERA in his first four starts in May. He also has brought the swing and miss stuff, striking out 21 in his first 21 frames this month. Martin has a 1.35 ERA after a 6.23 ERA in April and has spun 20 innings after just 13 last month. The big difference for Martin has been limiting opponents hits, opponents are hitting .183 against him in May after hitting .288 against the righty in April.
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 round 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.
MASHING MITCHELL: Not only did Blake Mitchell get the second multi-homer game of the season for the Fireflies, but Columbia's backstop is hot at the plate. The 19-year-old has reached in 13-consecutive games, his second-longest on-base streak of the season (18) and the third-longest on-base streak for a Fireflies player in 2024. Mitchell is 17-50 on the run (.340) and has driven in an astounding 15 RBI with five homers in his last 13 games.
SPOILING QUALITY STARTS: Wednesday, Emmanuel Reyes spun six one-run innings in what turned out to be a 3-2 loss in Kannapolis. Columbia has had some trouble winning ballgames when their starter spins a quality start. The club is 0-7 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 leaderboard, behind Dash Winningham (25 in 2016 and 2017) and tied with Juan Carlos Negret (23 in 2021).
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Carolina League Stories from June 1, 2024
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- Three Ballers Notch RBI in 5-2 Win Over Columbia - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
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- Magee, Baumann Highlight Dominant 10-0 Win Over Fayetteville - Augusta GreenJackets
- Rosado Notches Four Strikeout Inning Saturday - Columbia Fireflies
- RiverDogs Held to One Hit in Shutout Loss - Charleston RiverDogs
- Mudcats Win Fifth Straight Over Shorebirds - Carolina Mudcats
- Wood Ducks Shut Out Fxbg, 3-0 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Mudcats Edge Shorebirds by One Run - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Wood Ducks Shut out Fredericksburg - Down East Wood Ducks
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.1 at Kannapolis - Columbia Fireflies
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