Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.15 vs Kannapolis
July 15, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers tonight at 6:05 pm at Segra Park. LHP Ryan Ramsey (0-0, 0.82 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia and Kannapolis counters with southpaw Andy Schultz (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
Welcome to Segra Park, where Dino Weekend continues tonight! Ed's Dinosaurs will be roaming the concourse throughout the game tonight and we'll have a post-game fireworks show courtesy of Colonial Life Insurance! Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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RAMIREZ LEAD-OFF HOMER NOT ENOUGH IN 5-1 LOSS: The Fireflies got some early offense, but weren't able to add much to it as they fell 5-1 to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Friday night at Segra Park. It didn't take long for Kannapolis to strike back. Chris Lanzili tied the game with a homer of his own to start the second, tying the game 1-1. The next inning Kannapolis added some more. Mario Camilleti drew a one out walk to set the table for Brooks Baldwin, who sailed an RBI double to right center field before scoring on a Jhoneiker Betancourt single off the wall that put the Cannon Ballers in front 3-1 after the top of the third. Steven Zobac finished the evening with five strikeouts in as many innings while allowing three runs before he sent the ball to the bullpen.
RAMIREZ ROUND TRIPPERS: Fireflies lead-off man Jean Ramirez has four homers on the season after his lead-off blast last night. He started the year with an inside-the-park homer in April. His last two homers have come in his last two games in Segra Park and both have been lead-off homers for the Fireflies. July 3 when he last launched one at home, was the first Fireflies lead-off knock since Jaswel De Los Santos hit one July 13, 2022 at Down East.
IT'S WALLY'S WORLD: Last night, Chase Wallace spun two scoreless frames with three punchouts to lower his season ERA to 2.25. It's part of Wallace's third season in Columbia. He had a 5.28 ERA in 46 innings in 2021 and a 3.00 ERA in six innings in 2022. This year he has worked 20 innings since joining the team May 11. He's been particularly good since the turn of the month as he has spun a 1.42 ERA in 6.1 innings across four outings in July.
BARK, BUT NO BITE: Last night, the Fireflies bats were silenced after a lead-off Jean Ramirez homer, but the team had plenty of opportunities to score. The Fireflies put nine more runners on the basepaths after the homer, but because the team went 0-7 with runners in scoring position, the Cannon Ballers held the team at bay.
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 15, 2023
- Areinamo Homers in 6-5 Loss in Myrtle Beach - Carolina Mudcats
- Ramirez's Walk-off Single Gives Birds 6-5 Win Over Mudcats - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Fielding Mistakes Strike Down Fireflies - Columbia Fireflies
- Janas Goes off Yet Again as Augusta Blows Out Fayetteville - Augusta GreenJackets
- Long Balls Help RiverDogs Fly Past Wood Ducks 11-2 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Lynchburg Squeaks By Fredericksburg 12-10 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Shorebirds and Red Sox Suspended on Saturday Night - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.15 vs Kannapolis - Columbia Fireflies
- Sox Shutout Shorebirds to Start Series - Salem Red Sox
- RiverDogs Come Barking - Down East Wood Ducks
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