Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.14 vs Kannapolis
July 14, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies open up their post-All-Star game slate with a 7:05 tilt with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Segra Park tonight. RHP Steve Zobac (1-1, 1.74 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia and Kannapolis counters with RHP Peyton Pallette (0-2, 4.25 ERA).
Tonight is the start of Dino Weekend at Segra Park and the first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a T-Rex Bobblehead courtesy of Founders Federal Credit Union. You'll want to get to the park early when gates open at six because these bobbleheads will go fast. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES DROP BACK-AND-FORTH CONTEST 11-9: The Fireflies rallied, scoring six unanswered to take an 8-7 lead in the sixth inning, but ultimately fell 11-9 to the Charleston RiverDogs Sunday night at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. The difference came in the eighth. After a Julio Meza lead-off double, the Fireflies unraveled, walking a pair before allowing two hits and a sacrifice bunt to cede the lead and three runs, giving Charleston an 11-9 lead. Columbia's rally came to full fruition in the sixth. With two outs and Dionmy Salon at first, Levi Usher started the hit train. After Jean Ramirez cleared the bases with a single to cut Charleston's lead to 7-5, Omar Hernandez ripped a homer to left to tie the game. After a pitching change, Austin Charles legged out a triple and came around on a Brett Squires single to give the Fireflies their first lead of the game. In the top of the eighth, Usher laced his second homer of the year beyond the left field foul pole to give Columbia a 9-8 lead, but it ultimately wouldn't hold.
ZANY ZOBAC: The Fireflies righty is on another strong stretch as he has allowed only two earned runs in his last six outings, spanning 30.2 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 1.74 ERA across his first 12 outings and he has punched out 56 hitters in 42.2 innings.
CLASSIC KUDRNA: Ben Kudrna turned in one of the best starts of his career Friday. The righty became the second Fireflies pitcher to work seven innings in a single game this year, joining David Sandlin. Kudrna only allowed a runner to reach scoring position once and kept Charleston off the scoreboard before turning the ball over to the bullpen. He punched out six while allowing only six baserunners. In Kudrna's last two outings, he has spun 13.2 innings and has 16 punchouts while allowing three runs (1.98 ERA). The spur was good enough for him to get promoted to Quad Cities during the break.
RETURN OF THE MAC: Brennon McNair has played 16 games since June 15 and he has reached base safely in all except one of those games. June 24, McNair went 0-1 in a pinch hit opportunity against the Fredericksburg Nationals. All-in-all, the infielder is in one of his best hitting stretches of the season, slashing .256/.396/.415 over the run. He's added one homer five RBI and four runs during the 16 games.
MASTERING MCKEEHAN: Fireflies back-end of the bullpen reliever Cooper McKeehan continues to impress the league. Thursday he spun a scoreless ninth inning to earn his team-leading ninth save of the season to tie himself with Luis Barroso for the fifth-most saves in a single season in Fireflies history. The southpaw also paces the Carolina League with seven wins this year. The BYU product has a 1.11 ERA and just ended a stretch of nine appearances where he didn't allow a run. It was his second 10+ inning scoreless streak on the mound this season. McKeehan now has 10 saves, which leaves him tied with Trey Cobb for the fourth-most saves in a single season in Fireflies' history. The most saves in a single year is 14.
PLAYING WITH THE FIELD: In the first 15 games of the second half, nobody has separated themselves from the pack of the South Division. Columbia, Kannapolis, Charleston and Myrtle Beach are all tied at 8-7. Columbia just split a six-game series with CSC, is playing a three-game set with KAN and next week travel to MB for six games.
Carolina League Stories from July 14, 2023
- Pallette's Seven Strikeouts Bolster Kannapolis' 5-1 Victory on Road in Columbia Friday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Pelicans Allow 15 Hits, Drop Opener to Mudcats 5-3 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Hillcats Win Weekend Opener 7-4 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Mudcats Win Fourth Straight 5-3 in Myrtle Beach - Carolina Mudcats
- GreenJackets Spooked to Loss on Friday the 14th - Augusta GreenJackets
- RiverDogs Return from Break with 2-0 Shutout of Down East - Charleston RiverDogs
- Ramirez Lead-Off Homer Not Enough in 5-1 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Tayden Hall Reinstated from IL - Carolina Mudcats
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.14 vs Kannapolis - Columbia Fireflies
- GreenJackets, SRP Federal Credit Union, and WOW! Internet, TV & Phone to Host Stuff the Bus Back-To-School Drive - Augusta GreenJackets
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