Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.23 at Myrtle Beach
Published on July 23, 2025 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans tonight at Pelicans Ballpark at 7:05 pm. RHP Hiro Wyatt (1-4, 4.09 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia and Myrtle Beach counters with righty Nazier Mule (2-5, 5.57 ERA).
The Fireflies return home for a series with the Fredericksburg Nationals July 29-August 3. The team will host Stand Up to Cancer Night Friday, August 1, Harry Potter Night featuring a Hogwarts House-themed sock giveaway Saturday, August 2 and 803 Night Sunday, August 3. Buy your tickets now at FirefliesTickets.com.
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RUSSELL FINISHES HOMER SHY OF CYCLE IN 9-3 LOSS: After a 90-minute rain delay, Stone Russell came out of the gates hot with a three-hit performance, but it wasn't enough as the Fireflies fell 9-3 to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in the series opener at Pelicans Ballpark Tuesday evening. Myrtle Beach started their scoring in the home half of the first. Owen Ayers lasered his sixth homer of the season to right field to score Ty Southisene and Leonel Espinoza to give the Pelicans a 3-1 lead heading to the second inning. In the bottom of the fifth, the Pelicans added another three runs, capped off by an Alexey Lumpuy two-run homer to push the Pelicans lead to 7-2. Southisene finished the day 2-4 with two runs and two RBI.
MASTERFUL MARTE: 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 (4th, 2.31), opposing average (2nd, .188) and WHIP (2nd, 0.95). In his first full-season in the Carolina League, Marte has looked the part as Columbia's ace.
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 58 runs heading into the All-Star Break.
NUMBERS BEHIND THE CLINCH: The Fireflies finished the first-half 36-30 to win the South Division Title for the first time in team history. It is the Fireflies first playoff berth in team history. The club will play their first home playoff game September 11 at Segra Park.
I NEED A HIRO: Hiro Wyatt continued his roll of great pitching for Columbia. The righty has been eating innings pitched since the start of June (27.2). He's limited base runners to the tune of a 1.08 WHIP. He's also been piling up the strikeouts. Wyatt has 27 strikeouts compared to only six walks since June 1. His last outing July 3 was the only outing of less than four innings that Wyatt has tossed since the start of June.
WELCOME ABOARD: Asbel Gonzalez is currently riding an 11-game on-base streak. It's hit second-longest on-base streak of the 2025 season. Since the stretch began July 4, Gonzalez is 10-43 (.233) with four steals. Gonzalez's longest on-base streak this season was a 13-game stretch from April 6-April 22.
TOUGH SLEDDING: The Fireflies currently have the second-worst record in the Carolina League in the second half. A large part of that has been a power outage amongst the team's bats. The Fireflies are hitting .201 as a team since clinching the first-half title and they have a .570 OPS during that stretch. The mark is the third-worst in Minorl League Baseball since June 19. It trails only Augusta (.560) and Clearwater (.563).
Carolina League Stories from July 23, 2025
- Pelicans Rally Past Fireflies 6-4 in Dramatic Finish - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Crawdads Blanked by Augusta - Hickory Crawdads
- Shorebirds Handle Hillcats for First Win of the Homestand - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Red Sox Fall Behind Early, Drop Game Two to Charleston - Salem Red Sox
- Harrison's Quality Start Keeps the RiverDogs Hot - Charleston RiverDogs
- Fireflies Falter Late, Lose 6-4 on the Beach - Columbia Fireflies
- Quiet Offensive Night Sees FredNats Get Shut Out 2-0 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Mudcats Down Kannapolis - Carolina Mudcats
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.23 at Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
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