Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.21 vs Fredericksburg
June 21, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies pick-up where they left off in the third inning of last night's game at 5:30 pm. The first game will be nine innings and then they will play a seven inning second game of the doubleheader. In game two, RHP Ben Kudrna (4-3, 3.91 ERA) gets the ball for Columbia and Fredericksburg counters with RHP Luke Young (0-2, 4.58 ERA).
Tonight is a Whiteclaw Wednesday where fans can purchase 16 oz cans of Whiteclaw seltzer for $5. It's also a Trash the Poop, Wag-Along Wednesday! Bring your pup with you to enjoy the game tonight. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES DROP FINALE 6-1; HEAD HOME TUESDAY: The Fireflies allowed three runs in the third, which led to a 6-1 loss to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers Sunday afternoon at Segra Stadium. The knock-out punch came in the third inning. Fayetteville sent nine hitters to the plate, eeking out four hits, two of which were doubles and a pair of walks to plate four off Mauricio Veliz. It gave the Woodpeckers a 5-1 lead. In the fourth inning, Zach Cole smashed his 10th homer of the season beyond the right field wall off Eduardo Herrera to give Fayetteville a 6-1 lead. It was the first time this season a Fireflies reliever gave up a homer to the first batter they faced in a game.
SIMPING FOR SQUIRES: This season, Brett Squires holds the Carolina League's third-longest on-base streak, a 22-game stretch from April 20-May 14 where Columbia's first baseman reached base safely 40 times. He's also the holder of the League's fourth-longest active on-base streak. The Oklahoma-product has reached base in 14-straight games, dating back to June 2. During that run, Squires has a .407 on-base percentage and has scored 10 runs for Columbia. He now has the seventh-best on-base percentage in the Carolina League, a .391 mark on the campaign.
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. Despite a tough series vs Fayetteville, where the team's ERA increased by nearly a quarter of a point, the Fireflies have maintained Minor League Baseball's best team ERA this season with a mark of 3.18. The second place team is the Down East Wood Ducks, who have a 3.23 ERA this season. Columbia also has the 10th-best team WHIP in Minor League Baseball at 1.29, trailing Hudson Valley, who paces the 120 team pack with a 1.21 WHIP.
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.
PRESS RESET ON THE SEASON: The Fireflies were officially eliminated from first-half contention Sunday evening when the Myrtle Beach Pelicans beat the Fredericksburg Nationals to clinch the first-half South Division crown. After Thursday's game against the Fredericksburg Nationals, the Fireflies will begin the second-half of the season with another chance to clinch the franchise's first playoff berth.
IN THE CELLAR: The Fireflies lineup has gone through some struggles over the last month. Columbia has Minor League Baseball's lowest batting average over the last 30 days. The club is hitting .192 since May 21. The club also has a .557 OPS over the last 30 days. The second-lowest team OPS in that stretch belongs to the Rome Braves, who have a .586 mark in that time.
I'M GOING HOME: Today, the Fireflies begin a 12-game homestand against Fredericksburg and Augusta.
Carolina League Stories from June 21, 2023
- Avina Hits 2-Run Blast in 5-2 Carolina Loss - Carolina Mudcats
- Pitching Staff Dominant As Woodpeckers Shut Out Charleston - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Pelicans Continue Winning Ways, Beat Cannon Ballers 9-3 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- RiverDogs Fall Short in 1-0 Pitcher's Duel - Charleston RiverDogs
- FredNats and Fireflies Canceled Wednesday Night - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Fireflies' June 21 Game vs Fredericksburg Canceled - Columbia Fireflies
- USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series Coming to the Joe July 11-12 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Wednesday Matchup against Augusta Cancelled Due to Weather - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 6.21 vs Fredericksburg - Columbia Fireflies
- Mudcats Rally Late in 4-3 Loss to Hillcats - Carolina Mudcats
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