Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.4 at Augusta
July 4, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies kick-off a three-day trip in Augusta at SRP Park tonight at 6:35 pm. RHP Emmanuel Reyes (4-2, 3.98 ERA) takes the bump for Columbia and Augusta counters with RHP Kaden Morton (0-2, 9.00 ERA).
Tonight at Segra Park, the Fireflies continue their celebration of America's 248th birthday! We're hosting Fireworks with the Philharmonic presented by Prisma Health. Tickets start at just $10 to hear your favorite fourth of July hits performed by the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra beginning at 8 pm and the evening will end with a massive fireworks show! You can also enjoy happy and hoppy hour from when gates open at 6:30 to the beginning of the concert. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
---------------------------------
OFFENSE STALLS IN SERIES FINALE: The Fireflies fell short against Augusta Wednesday evening. Columbia was a combined 0-6 with runners in scoring position. The lineup struck out fourteen times as a collective, two shy of their highest mark in a game this season. Augusta dealt the first blow on the scoreboard and didn't look back. Cam Magee doubled with one out in the first inning and later scored on a passed ball. Kade Kern led off the fourth inning with a single and a stolen base. He crossed home later in the frame on a Joe Olsavsky RBI-single. Kern recorded three hits in the affair. He also tripled in the sixth inning and scored on a Jeremy Celedonio double.
POWER OUTAGE: Last night was the sixth time this season that the Fireflies have been shut out and the 16th time that the club has been held to one-run or less in 2024. Columbia went 0-6 with runners in scoring position in the week's finale at Segra Park.
LIGHT UP YOUR WORLD, LIKE THE FOURTH OF JULY: Blake Mitchell has had a strong start to the month of July. Half of his hits are for extra bases and he is slashing .333/.333/.500.
GOING STREAKING: Catcher Dionmy Salon is riding a hot streak for Columbia. He is on his longest hitting streak of the season, a nine-game stretch that began June 9 and is tied for the second-longest active hitting streak in the Carolina League. He trails Esteban Gonzalez who has hit in 10-consecutive games for the Lynchburg Hillcats. Salon is 12-27 (.444) on the run and has five RBI. Salon has increased his batting average from .165 to .229 during the strech which encapsulates over one quarter of his games played this season.
STORIES RIVALRY: Last night was the 182nd installment of the GreenJackets and Fireflies Rivalry. It resulted in the Fireflies' 90th win of the series. All-in-All, Columbia is 90-92 against Augusta with 10 more games scheduled in 2024.
QUALITY FELIX: Saturday, Felix Arronde worked his team-leading fifth quality start of the season. He's two ahead of Ethan Bosacker for the most on the Fireflies. So far this season, Arronde has a 4-6 record to pair with a 3.68 ERA. He's been able to persevere despite receiving the lowest run support of any regular Fireflies starter this year. The bats are scoring 2.19 runs per nine innings when Arronde is on the hill in 2024.
KICKING WITH KIRKLAND: In Doug Kirkland's last eight outings, he has allowed just one earned run spanning 14.1 innings of work (0.63 ERA). In that time, he has 17 punchouts and his opponents are hitting .119 against him. In his first full professional season, Kirkland is 3-3 with a 2.60 ERA. He has an outlandish 37 strikeouts in 27.2 innings and opponents are hitting just .176 against him this season.
I CAN SEE THE FUTURE: Today, Major League Baseball announced their All-Star Future's game rosters, which contained a pair of former Fireflies player. RHP Ben Kudrna was Kansas City's second rounder in 2021 and after spinning a 3.48 ERA in 17 starts in 2022, he was named the Columbia Fireflies Pitcher of the Year by the Royals. Gavin Cross was also named to the roster. The outfielder was selected in the first round of the 2022 draft out of Virginia Tech and reached base safely in his final 22 games with the Fireflies that same season.
Carolina League Stories from July 4, 2024
- Hillcats Edged by Red Sox, 5-4 - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Kannapolis Snatches Third Victory Of Week On Fourth Of July Over Woodpeckers - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Mudcats Beat Wood Ducks in Extras - Carolina Mudcats
- RiverDogs Hold on for Thrilling 2-1 Win in Front of Huge Independence Day Crowd - Charleston RiverDogs
- Woodpeckers Fall in Kannapolis on Fourth of July - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- McHenry Goes Yard Twice in 7-2 Victory - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Fred Nats Defeat Shorebirds on Independence Day - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Jackets Fall 5-2 on Fourth of July - Augusta GreenJackets
- Late Rally Lifts Fireflies Over GreenJackets - Columbia Fireflies
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.4 at Augusta - Columbia Fireflies
- Mudcats Beat Wood Ducks in Extras - Carolina Mudcats
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
