Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.14 at Fayetteville
June 14, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers tonight at 7:05 pm at Segra Stadium. RHP Ben Kudrna (3-4, 3.94 ERA) gets the rock for Columbia and Fayetteville counters with RHP Amilcar Chirinos (0-1, 5.14 ERA).
The Fireflies will return home to Segra Park June 20 and they'll stay home through July 3 as the Fireflies battle the Fredericksburg Nationals and the Augusta GreenJackets. The homestand will house our Negro League Celebration Weekend, where we'll have some special guests in attendance and will conclude with our Independence Day Celebration with a massive fireworks show. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
-----------------------------------
FIREFLIES WIN 4-3 IN 12 INNINGS: The Fireflies utilized an incredible pitching performance from the bullpen to win 4-3 in 12 innings Tuesday night at Fayetteville and move a game closer to Myrtle Beach in the first-half standings. Columbia is one game out of the playoffs with eight games remaining. The Fireflies bats came out in the top of the 12th. Daniel Vazquez was the placed runner, who moved from second to third on a ground out before Brett Squires walked and stole second to set the table. Austin Charles laced a sacrifice fly to score Vazquez and then Squires came around on a two out error from second baseman Jackson Loftin off the bat of Lizandro Rodriguez. Rodriguez reached base safely five times for the Fireflies in the five inning affair. Extra innings was about pitching for the Fireflies. Cooper McKeehan (W, 5-1) worked the 10th and 11th innings without allowing a run to score, utilizing a 5-3-1 doubleplay as Luis Encarnacion grounded out to Austin Charles, who relayed to Brett Squires for the first out of the inning before throwing home to nab Roilan Machandy at the plate to keep Fayetteville off the board.
ZANY ZOBAC: The Fireflies righty is on another strong stretch as he has allowed only one earned run in his last four outings, spanning 17.2 innings. Zobac set a career-high, spinning 5.0 innings Tuesday in a 4-3 win over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers to set the tone for the last road trip of the first half for Columbia. Zobac now has a 1.56 ERA across his first 10 outings and he has punched out 39 hitters in 34.2 innings.
PINNACLE PITCHERS: The Fireflies arms have been hot this year. After allowing only two earned runs across their last 39 innings, the Fireflies pitching staff now has the best-ERA of all 120 teams in Minor League Baseball, a 2.99 mark that has unseated the Down East Wood Ducks and Tulsa Drillers, both of whom have previously paced the pack. The Fireflies have had had a top-5 team ERA all season long, but really pushed over the top this last weekend where David Sandlin and Mauricio Veliz didn't allow an earned run to score in 12 innings to pace the club.
SUPER SANDLIN: David Sandlin has been on a roll his last few outings. He has worked back-to-back quality starts and has allowed three runs in his last 13 innings (2.08 ERA). During that stretch, Sandlin also has 19 punchouts, which has allowed him to climb back to the top of the League's strikeout leaderboard. The Fireflies are also 8-3 in his 11 starts this season. He added another feather to his cap Monday when he earned his first Carolina League Pitcher of the Week Award after his seven scoreless innings of work Friday.
WILY WALLACE: Last night, Chase Wallace gave up his first run of the season. Columbia's reliever has been on fire across his first five outings this year though, maintaining a 1.35 ERA in 6.2 innings while fanning six opposing hitters.
THE ROAD IS LONG: After Columbia's loss to the Salem Red Sox Wednesdsay, the team fell out of first place for the first time in 33 games--the longest stretch the Fireflies have been in possession of first place in franchise history. The last time the Fireflies weren't in first place was April 29.
THE SCOOP: Tuesday night, Columbia's 12-inning victory helped push the club within one game of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans with eight games remaining in the first half. This week, the Fireflies head to Fayetteville to play the 24-33 Woodpeckers and Myrtle Beach has a tilt at home vs Fredericksburg, who has a 28-28 record.
Carolina League Stories from June 14, 2023
- Woodpeckers Drop Marathon 12-Inning Game in Return Home - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Shorebirds Split Doubleheader with Red Sox - Delmarva Shorebirds
- BATS SCUFFLE IN 1-0 DEFEAT - Fredericksburg Nationals
- RiverDogs Can't Get Over Hump, Walked Off on Wednesday - Charleston RiverDogs
- Bullpen Falters in 7-2 Loss to Woodpeckers - Columbia Fireflies
- Hillcats Top RiverDogs Again - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Perez and Sibrian Homer in 6-5 Loss in Augusta - Carolina Mudcats
- Workinger, Celedonio Homer Again as Augusta Notches Second Straight Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.14 at Fayetteville - Columbia Fireflies
- Shorebirds Dominant in Series Opener - Salem Red Sox
- Rookie out of Florida State Navigates his First Year in the Minors - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Cannon Fire Against Cannon Ballers - Down East Wood Ducks
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.
