CarL Columbia Fireflies

Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7.7 vs Charleston

July 7, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release


The Fireflies continue their series with a 7:05 pm match-up with the Charleston RiverDogs at Joesph P. Riley Jr. Park. RHP Ben Kudrna (4-3, 3.96 ERA) takes the bump for Columbia and Charleston counters with righty Jake Christianson (2-0, 4.20 ERA).

The Fireflies return home after the All-Star Break, for a three-game series vs the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers July 14-16. The Fireflies have jammed that weekend filled with amazing promotions for our first-ever Dinosaur weekend. Ed's Dinosaurs will bring animatronic, life-sized dinosaurs to Segra Park, we'll have a dinosaur bobblehead giveaway Friday and on Saturday we'll set off a wonderful fireworks show. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.

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DUNHURST, MCNAIR POWER 3-2 FIREFLIES WIN: The Fireflies held back a Charleston late rally to win on the back of a Hayden Dunhurst 2-run triple, 3-2 over the Charleston RiverDogs Thursday night at Joseph P Riley Jr Park. Hayden Dunhurst got us started in the top of the second. Right after Austin Charles was thrown out at the plate, Columbia's catcher legged out a gapper in left for three bases to score Lizandro Rodriguez and Roger Leyton to break the scoreless tie. Brennon McNair added to the Fireflies lead with a wall-scraper solo shot to start off the fifth inning. It was McNair's second homer of the season and his first since April 30 at Augusta. Ryan Ramsey's return to the mound was a success. The southpaw punched out four RiverDogs in three innings without allowing a run. At times, he struggled with the strike zone, walking three batters, but he was able to keep the RiverDogs off the board before giving the ball to the bullpen.

CHARLES CONQUERS: Thursday, Austin Charles had his second three RBI game with the Columbia Fireflies. The infielder has 14 RBI in his first 18 games in Columbia and has 11 doubles, including the one he hit Thursday night that led to Columbia's win. His heroics vs the Augusta GreenJackets have been good enough for Charles to win the Carolina League Player of the Week Award. Over the first five games of the series, Charles is 6-16 (.375) with four doubles and seven RBI. The infielder has an insane 1.101 OPS over the run. This week, Charles became the first Fireflies player to homer in back-to-back games since Brett Squires accomplished the task in early May. To make it more impressive, from the seventh inning in the July 4 game to the sixth inning in the July 5 game, Charles had two homers, a triple and a double.

BLISTERING BULLPEN: Last night, the Fireflies' bullpen's stretch without giving up an earned run ended in the eighth inning at 18 innings. At the end of the night, the bullpen has now allowed just one earned run in 19 innings since July 2 (0.47 ERA). Wesley Scott and Eduardo Herrera both spun a pair of scoreless innings in relief Thursday before McKeehan closed it out with his 10th save of the season.

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.

ZANY ZOBAC: The Fireflies righty is on another strong stretch as he has allowed only two earned runs in his last six outings, spanning 50.2 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.

WORKING TO THE BREAK: The Fireflies have three games remaining until the All-Star Break.

Check out the Columbia Fireflies Statistics



Carolina League Stories from July 7, 2023


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