Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.1 vs Fayetteville
June 1, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies close out their series with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers tonight at Segra Park at 5:05 pm. LHP David Shields (1-0, 0.69 ERA) takes the bump for Columbia and Fayetteville counters with RHP Ramsey David (1-3, 3.86 ERA).
Tonight is a Kid Sunday Funday where after the game kids can run the bases thanks to Bang Back Pinball Lounge and we'll host a full team autograph session. Buy your tickets now at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER SATURDAY: The Columbia Fireflies staff used a five-run first and strong pitching to win game one of a doubleheader against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 5-2. The Fireflies fell short 5-4 in extra innings in game two as they earned the split against Fayetteville Saturday night at Segra Park. Game One The Fireflies jumped on Raimy Rodriguez as they scored five runs in the first inning. 11 Fireflies came to the plate and the team had three hits, three walks and one hit batter to keep the bases loaded with Columbia players. The highlight of the inning was an Angel Acosta two RBI single to plate Derlin Figueroa and Milo Rushford and grant Columbia a 4-0 lead. Asbel Gonzalez and Josi Novas drew walks with the bases loaded to score a pair of runs and Derlin Figueroa singled to score Gonzalez to start the scoring with one out. Game Two Fraynel Nova (L, 1-1) worked a scoreless seventh to give the Fireflies bats a chance in the bottom of the seventh, but Columbia couldn't break through and the game went to extras. In the eighth, a wild pitch and a fielder's choice allowed Cesar Hernandez to come around to grant Fayetteville a 5-4 lead. Henry Ramos was the placed runner for Columbia in the bottom of the eighth. The right fielder advanced to third on a wild pitch, but couldn't score as Columbia went down in order and fell 5-4.
SPEED, I AM SPEED: Asbel Gonzalez is now second in the Carolina League in stolen bases with 40 on the season. He trails Tommy Hawke, who has 45. Gonzalez is also second to Hawke for the most runs scored in the League (41). Gonzalez also has the league's second-best batting average with a mark of .303. Last 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 night, Yunior Marte continued his solid start to the 2025 campaign. The 6'5" righty spun his third quality start of the year. He ranks among the Carolina League Leaders in most significant pitching statistics including ERA (6th, 2.83), strikeouts (4th, 45), innings pitched (1st, 47.2), opposing average (4th, .200) and WHIP (4th, 1.05). In his first full-season in the Carolina League, Marte has looked the part as Columbia's ace.
WHAT A START: David Shields is on a roll to start his Carolina League Career. The southpaw has allowed only one run across his first three starts (0.69 ERA) and has struck out 17 hitters over 13 innings of work (11.78 K/9). He is one of 15 pitchers 19 or younger in the Carolina League and is one of only two 18 year olds in the Circuit. He has the lowest ERA and BB% of any teen pitcher in the Carolina League and the highest K%. Among the whole Carolina League, he has the 8th-best ERA, the third best BB/9 IP (0.69), the 7th best K% (37.8%), the third-best BB% (2.2%), the eighth-best opposing average (.136) and the best WHIP (0.54).
RAKING RAMIREZ: Ramon Ramirez is second in the Carolina League with nine homers and leads the pack with 39 RBI. He is also third in runs scored with 35. The backstop ended a 14-game on-base streak in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. It was the Fireflies longest on-base streak of the 2025 season and the longest since Callan Moss reached safely in 22-consecutive games in 2024.
KEEPING TABS: The Fireflies are two games back of the Augusta GreenJackets with 16 games remaining in the first half. After this series, the Fireflies play six against Hickory and Kannapolis and three at Carolina to end the half.
Carolina League Stories from June 1, 2025
- Myrtle Beach Falls 4-1 to Augusta in Series Finale - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- RiverDogs Capture Series with One-Run Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- Fireflies Late Rally Falls Short in 12-6 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Shorebirds Fall in Series Finale to Crawdads - Delmarva Shorebirds
- FredNats Lose Third Straight at Lynchburg - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Lynchburg Takes Five of Six from Fredericksburg - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Longball Propels Mudcats to Sunday Victory - Carolina Mudcats
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.1 vs Fayetteville - Columbia Fireflies
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