Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 8.13 vs Charleston
August 13, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies close out their series with the Charleston RiverDogs tonight at Segra Park at 5:05 pm. RHP Mauricio Veliz (3-5, 5.07 ERA) climbs the hill for Columbia and Charleston counters with southpaw Alex Ayala Jr. (1-5, 4.27 ERA).
Tonight is a Sunday Funday, we'll have an autograph session before the game and following the game, kids can run the bases courtesy of Bang Back Pinball Lounge. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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SQUIRES BLASTS TWO HOMERS IN 9-5 LOSS: The Fireflies used two homers from Brett Squires, but were unable to secure a win, as they fell 9-5 in front of 8,024 fans Saturday night at Segra Park. Columbia came out with a strong rally in the eighth. Carson Roccaforte started the frame with a double and came around on a one out two bagger from Austin Charles. The next batter, Brett Squires, smoked his second homer of the ball game over the right field wall to cut Charleston's lead to 8-5. Squires is the first Fireflies player since Erick Pena to homer twice in the same game. Pena accomplished the feat May 3 vs Myrtle Beach. Columbia was able to jump out in front in the bottom of the second. First baseman Brett Squires led the frame off with his eighth homer of the season, a wall scraper over the right field wall to extend his on-base streak to 11 games.
LAUNCHING LIZANDRO: The Fireflies' second baseman has been on fire in this series against Charleston, channeling multiple hits in each of the first four games of the series. Rodriguez is 10-18 (.556) with two doubles, two stolen bases and three runs scored this week. He has tallied a .579 on-base percentage and a 1.246 OPS in one of the top weeks a Fireflies hitter has worked on this season.
HURLING HERNANDEZ: Ben Hernandez is on a roll, the 2020 second round pick has now tossed back-to-back quality starts and against Charleston, picked up his first win of the season. The righty has allowed three runs across his last 12 innings (2.25 ERA) and the Fireflies are 3-1 in games he has started since he was activated after the All-Star Break.
MOVING ON UP: Ben Sears now has three saves in his last six appearances, giving him nine saves on the season. That ties him with 2021 Columbia Fireflies reliever Luis Barroso for sixth all-time amongst Columbia Fireflies players. He's two away from tying current Quad Cities River Bandits reliever Cooper McKeehan for second on the Fireflies all-time leaderboard.
SECURING SQUIRES: Brett Squires is riding his second-longest on-base streak of the season, an 12-game stretch that dates back to July 30. Over the run he has hits in all-except one game he has played in and is 16-43 (.372). He has also walked a pair of times and roped two doubles and three homers on the month. All-in-all, Squires is slashing .372/.400/.628 over the nearly two-week run. The on-base streak in the University of Oklahoma product's second-longest on-base streak of the season. Squires reached safely in 22-consecutive games from April 20-May 14. On that hot stretch, Squires slashed .444/.433/.877 as he led the league in multiple categories, including on-base percentage and doubles through the run.
SKIDDING TO A HALT: After taking the first two games of the series vs Charleston, Columbia was just three games back of first in the division, but now, following a three-game losing streak, the Fireflies are in third in the division, six games back of the Charleston RiverDogs.
REYES ROLLS: Columbia's 19-year-old pitcher earned the first quality start of his career in a loss to the Charleston RiverDogs Friday. The righty spun six frames, allowing five hits and two runs in a 2-1 pitcher's duel. Emmanuel Reyes is now 0-3 in his first three starts in Columbia with 16 punchouts in 15 innings and a 4.80 ERA.
Carolina League Stories from August 13, 2023
- Birds Grab Series Finale, Win Five Of Six Over Woodpeckers - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Woodpeckers Drop Series Finale in Myrtle Beach - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Cermak Slugs RiverDogs to 10-4 Win in Final Meeting with Fireflies - Charleston RiverDogs
- Back-To-Back Homers Not Enough in 10-4 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- GreenJackets Take Weekend Pair against Sox, Win Series - Augusta GreenJackets
- Hillcats End up on Top of Fredericksburg in Wild Game - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Hillcats Win 14-13 Slugfest - Fredericksburg Nationals
- First-Place Mudcats Fall 8-4 in Finale to Delmarva - Carolina Mudcats
- Shorebirds Take Series Finale from Mudcats - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 8.13 vs Charleston - Columbia Fireflies
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