Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 8.15 vs Myrtle Beach
August 15, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies kick-off a fresh series with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at 7:05 pm at Segra Park. RHP Henry Williams (1-0, 0.00 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia and RHP Koen Moreno (6-2, 2.84 ERA) counters for Myrtle Beach.
Tonight is a Miller Lite $2 Tuesday at Segra Park. Fans can enjoy $2 hot dogs, popcorn, fountain sodas and 12 oz cans of Miller Lite. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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BACK-TO-BACK HOMERS NOT ENOUGH IN 10-4 LOSS: The Fireflies kicked-off the fourth inning with back-to-back homers, but after that, it was all RiverDogs as Columbia lost 10-4 Sunday at Segra Park. Columbia jumped out to front in the fourth. Spencer Nivens led off the fourth with his second homer of the series to tie the game 3-3. Next, Brett Squires launched his 10th round-tripper of the season, his fourth of the season and his third in the last two nights. It was the first time Columbia hit back-to-back homers since Edgar Martinez and Jaswel De Los Santos hit back-to-back knocks May 8, 2022 in the second inning against Delmarva.
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.
HOT START: Carson Roccaforte has cruised through the start of his Carolina League career. The Fireflies center fielder has already made a handful of stunning plays in center field, but if that weren't enough, he brought the bat along with him. The Rajin Cajun has played five games with at least one hit in each of those contests. All-in-all, he is 7-19 with a double, two triples and three RBI. Spencer Nivens is also off to a strong start, the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year had two homers last week vs Charleston. Finally, Jared Dickey has been an on-base machine in his first seven games, going 7-22 with two walks and a hit by pitch to earn a .385 on-base percentage.
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, a 13-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 17-46 (.370). He has also walked a pair of times and roped two doubles and four homers on the month. All-in-all, Squires is slashing .370/.388/.674 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 four-game losing streak, the Fireflies are in third in the division, seven 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 15, 2023
- Woodpeckers Take Series Opener Over Lynchburg - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Five-Run 10th Pushes Pelicans Past Fireflies 11-9 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- GreenJackets Give up Touchdown in First Inning, Suffer Blowout Loss Tuesday - Augusta GreenJackets
- Eight Runs Score in Extras as Columbia Falls 11-9 - Columbia Fireflies
- Ballers' Offense Explodes for 16-Hit Performance in 16-3 Win Over Mudcats - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Mudcats Drop Series Opener 16-3 in Kannapolis - Carolina Mudcats
- Huge First Inning Powers Nats In 13-5 Win - Fredericksburg Nationals
- RiverDogs Leave Bases Loaded in 3-1 Loss to Wood Ducks - Charleston RiverDogs
- SRP Park Hosting 30th Anniversary of Border Bash Friday, September 15th - Augusta GreenJackets
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 8.15 vs Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
- Lara Promoted; Maldonado & Rudy to IL; Calzadilla & Galindez Added - Carolina Mudcats
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