Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.1 at Augusta
July 1, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies kick-off a road trip against the Augusta GreenJackets at SRP Park tonight at 7:05 pm. RHP Emmanuel Reyes (1-1, 6.75 ERA) takes the ball for Columbia and Augusta counters with RHP Jeremy Reyes (0-3, 2.81 ERA).
The Fireflies return home for Fourth of July Weekend Friday, Saturday and Sunday! During the weekend the Fireflies will host three HUGE Fireworks shows, will have a super Marvel night and a way for kids to stay cool on a Sunday Funday. Buy your tickets now at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FOUR-RUN FOURTH NOT ENOUGH IN 8-7 LOSS: The Fireflies scored four runs off a pair of homers in the fourth, but it wasn't enough to take home the series finale as Columbia dropped Sunday's contest 8-7 to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Segra Park. The Pelicans pushed ahead in the eighth as an Owen Ayers three-bagger plated Leonel Espinoza to break the 7-7 tie. Myrtle beach scored the last five runs of the game punctuated with a three-run seventh inning. The Fireflies broke through with a four-run fourth inning. Hyungchan Um got the party started with a solo homer to the home run porch in left field to cut the Pelicans lead to 3-2. After Hayden Frank walked back-to-back batters with one out, he issued a wild pitch to score Brennon McNair to tie the game. Later in the inning, Henry Ramos scorched his first homer of the season to right to plate Novas and put the Fireflies on top 5-3.
MASTER OF THE MISS: Sunday, 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 (3rd, 2.51), strikeouts (1st, 67), innings pitched (3rd, 68.0), opposing average (1st, .184) and WHIP (1st, 0.96). In his first full-season in the Carolina League, Marte has looked the part as Columbia's ace.
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).
I NEED A HIRO: Hiro Wyatt is on his best stretch of pitching this season. Friday, the righty worked his fifth-consecutive five inning start. He allowed a pair of hits in five scoreless innings before passing the ball to his bullpen. Wyatt is one of only two pitchers in the Carolina League to log 20 or more innings in the month of June. Wyatt has a 2.70 ERA to pair with a 0.85 WHIP across 20 innings. He has 19 strikeouts compared to only two walks on the run. The other Carolina League pitcher to work at least 20 innings in June is Melvin Hernandez who has a 0.83 ERA in four games spanning 21.2 innings.
ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS: Saturday, Asbel Gonzalez stole four bases in a single game for the third time this year. In the third inning, he usurped Tyler Tolbert's 2021 single season stolen base record when he swept his 50th base of the season. Tolbert had 49 steals in 51 tries across 80 games in Columbia. Gonzalez is second in the Carolina League to Tommy Hawke, who has 63 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 53 runs just after the Carolina League's half-way point.
Carolina League Stories from July 1, 2025
- Bullpen Tosses Five Shutout Frames in Kannapolis' 7-2 Win over Hickory Tuesday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- FredNat Comeback Thwarted by Weather in 6-0 Loss at Delmarva - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Harrison Throws Seven Shutout; RiverDogs Fall Late - Charleston RiverDogs
- Pelicans Edge RiverDogs 2-1 in Series Opener - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Jacob Cravey's Excellence Leads Delmarva to Shutout Win over Fredericksburg - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Fayetteville Takes Series Opener from Mudcats - Carolina Mudcats
- Stellar Pitching, Early Offense Lead Cola to 6-2 Win - Columbia Fireflies
- Hillcats Shut out in Rain Shortened Game - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Hillcats Announce Fan Information for the 4th of July - Lynchburg Hillcats
- RiverDogs Announce Two Additions to Hall of Honor - Charleston RiverDogs
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.1 at Augusta - Columbia Fireflies
- Fireworks with the Philharmonic Rescheduled to July 3 - Columbia Fireflies
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