Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.20 at Carolina
June 20, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Columbia Fireflies are South Division First-Half Champions! And tonight, they kick off the second-half of the season at 6:30 pm against the Carolina Mudcats at Five County Stadium. RHP Hiro Wyatt (1-2, 5.01 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia and the Mudcats counter with RHP Melvin Hernandez (4-4, 2.65 ERA).
Columbia's first playoff game in team history is at Segra Park September 11.
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THE FIREFLIES ARE HEADED TO THE POSTSEASON: The Columbia Fireflies relied on early offense and a great start from David Shields as the club beat the Carolina Mudcats 6-3 in a rain-shortened seven inning game at Five County Stadium. With the win, the Fireflies clinched their first playoff berth in team history. The first home playoff game will be played at Segra Park September 11. Fans can get on the priority list to buy tickets to the first playoff game at Segra Park here. The bats got moving quickly Thursday night in Zebulon. Asbel Gonzlez took the first pitch of the game to the right field. After that, Colton Becker laid down a sacrifice bunt that starting pitcher Wande Torres threw away to allow Gonzalez to score to break the tie. Later, Angel Acosta singled to put runners on the corners for the Fireflies. During Stone Russell's at-bat, Figueroa and Acosta executed a double steal to make Columbia's advantage 2-0.
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. Thursday he was awarded the Carolina League Pitcher of the Month Award for May. Marte began the month on a 15.1 innings scoreless stretch and paced the circuit in ERA over the course of May.
HOW WE GOT HERE: The Columbia Fireflies moved to Columbia in 2016. Last night was the 1,126th game in Fireflies franchise history. The last time the city of Columbia hosted a playoff game was in the final year of the Capital City Bombers. The 2004 Bombers lost in the South Atlantic League Championship Series to the Hickory Crawdads. After the 2004 season the Bombers moved to Greenville and became the Greenville Drive.
NUMBERS BEHIND THE CLINCH: The Fireflies finished the first-half 36-30 to win the the South Division Title for the first time in team history. Despite finishing six games above .500, the Fireflies were outscored 323-304 in the first half. Only Columbia and Myrtle Beach finished with a negative run differential in the division. As a team, the Fireflies finished the first half with the ninth-best batting average (.225) in the 12-team Carolina League. Columbia excelled on the basepaths, leading the league in sacrifices and finishing third in steals with 136 or more than two per game. On the mound, Columbia had the eighth-best ERA in the League (4.24). The team held the line when it counted though, leading the Carolina League with 19 saves and finishing fourth with 19 holds. Columbia has the fourth-best fielding percentage in the Carolina League (.970).
ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS: Tuesday, Asbel Gonzalez notched a pair of steals to tie him with Tyler Tolbert's single-season franchise steals record. Tolbert set the record in 2021, overtaking Jacob Zanon, who stole 27 bases in 2017. Tolbert had 49 steals in 51 tries across 80 games in Columbia. Gonzalez is second in the Carolina League to Tommy Hawke, who has 60 swipes this season. Gonzalez also has a chance to break the Fireflies career steals record. Jean Ramirez had 68 steals from 2021-23 with the Fireflies. Columbia's center fielder isn't far from the single-season franchise runs scored record either. Eric Torres set the mark with 70 runs scored last year. Gonzalez has scored 49 runs just before the Carolina League's half-way point.
Carolina League Stories from June 20, 2025
- Galan Flawless Through Seven as RiverDogs Edge Cannon Ballers to Open Second Half - Charleston RiverDogs
- Late Push Falls Just Short in Kannapolis' Eighth Consecutive Loss Friday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Cabrera, Guerrero Pace Crawdads in 11-3 Win - Hickory Crawdads
- Pelicans Rally Past Woodpeckers 5-3, Even Series - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Shorebirds Drop First Game of the Second Half - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Fredericksburg Blanks Salem 3-0 in Quick-Moving Pitcher's Duel - Salem Red Sox
- FredNats Blaze through 3-0 Win over Salem to Start Second Half - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Mudcats Shut out Columbia to Open Second Half - Carolina Mudcats
- Wyatt Excels in 3-0 Loss to Mudcats - Columbia Fireflies
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.20 at Carolina - Columbia Fireflies
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