Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.2 vs Augusta
July 2, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Augusta GreenJackets tonight at Segra Park at 5:05 pm. RHP Mauricio Veliz (1-3, 4.58 ERA) takes the ball for Columbia and Augusta counters with RHP Jared Johnson (2-2, 4.11 ERA).
Tonight is our Military Appreciation Night at Segra Park. We're honoring local military heroes during the game and wearing patriotic jerseys as we continue to gear up for Independence Day. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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ROUGH START LEADS TO 7-4 LOSS TO 'JACKETS: The Fireflies stumbled out of the gates in a 7-4 loss to the Augusta GreenJackets Saturday night at Segra Park. The GreenJackets didn't wait long before inching ahead again. In the top of the second, Shane Panzini issued back-to-back walks to lead-off the inning before Dawson Dimon slapped an RBI single to score Cory Acton and give Augusta a 3-2 lead. Augusta got some insurance in the sixth inning. After Acton hit a lead-off double, Dimon again brought him home with a two bagger of his own to bring the score to 4-2. Dimon eventually scored on a Just Janas RBI single to give Augusta a 5-2 lead before the end of the sixth.
SO LONG, FAREWELL: This morning, the Royals announced that they were promoting lefty Frank Mozzicato to the Quad Cities River Bandits active roster. The southpaw has paved the path to the Fireflies success this season with a 3.04 ERA in 12 starts across 56.1 innings where he has punched out the second most opponents in the Carolina League (85). Mozzicato set a single-game Fireflies record with 13 whiffs against Fayetteville April 18 and between this year and last year, he has the most strikeouts in Fireflies history, a mark of 174, that unseated Tony Dibrell, who had 147 strikeouts--all in 2018 with the Fireflies.
TOP THIRD CARRYING: Last night, Lizandro Rodriguez went 2-5, Omar Hernandez was 2-3 and Austin Charles was 3-3, going a combined 7-11. The rest of the Fireflies order went 2-22. It's the second straight night the top third didn't receive support from the bottom 2/3 of the lineup. Friday, the top third of the order was 7-12 and the bottom six went 2-24. Over the stretch the start of the order is 14-23 (.609) while the bottom is 4-46 (.087).
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 0.98 ERA and is on his second-longest scoreless stretch of the season. McKeehan has not allowed a run in his last eight appearances (beginning June 4). In that time, he has worked 12.2 innings, allowing five hits and two walks while punching out nine hitters. His longest span without allowing an earned run came April 22-May 20 where he went 13.1 scoreless in 10 appearances.
ZANY ZOBAC: The Fireflies righty is on another strong stretch as he has allowed only one earned run in his last five outings, spanning 20.2 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.
CHARLES CONQUERS: Thursday, Austin Charles had his second three RBI game with the Columbia Fireflies. The infielder has 12 RBI in his first 17 games in Columbia and has nine doubles, including the one he hit Thursday night that led to Columbia's win. The righty is riding a three-game hitting streak, which is his longest stretch of the season.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA: The fun continues at Segra Park this week. The Fireflies host their Independence Day game with a double fireworks show tomorrow at 6:05 pm and Fireworks with the Phil Tuesday evening.
Carolina League Stories from July 2, 2023
- Late Lead Fades, Pelicans Drop Sunday Game to RiverDogs 6-5 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- RiverDogs Shock Pelicans with Late-Inning Comeback - Charleston RiverDogs
- Samuel Strickland Stellar, Strikes Send Side to Sunday Success - Augusta GreenJackets
- Four Fireflies Errors Lead to 8-5 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Woodpeckers Blasted by Cannon Ballers in Sunday Affair - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Delmarva Outduels Lynchburg to Take Series Lead - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Fredericksburg Loses 4-2 To Sox - Fredericksburg Nationals
- One Big Hit Costs Hillcats - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Carolina Wins Second Straight 7-3 in Kinston - Carolina Mudcats
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.2 vs Augusta - Columbia Fireflies
- LHP Nate Peterson Reinstated from IL - Carolina Mudcats
- Mudcats Steal One - Down East Wood Ducks
- Nats Come Back To Beat Salem 6-3 - Fredericksburg Nationals
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