Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 8.17 vs Myrtle Beach
August 17, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans tonight at 7:05 pm. RHP Shane Panzini (2-9, 4.97 ERA) takes the ball for Columbia and Myrtle Beach counters with RHP Luis Rujano (0-1, 2.34 ERA).
Tonight is Country Night presented by the Blood Connection at Segra Park! We'll have line dancing lessons, great music and fun promotions all night long! If that weren't enough, we're also pushing out our Budweiser Thirsty Thursday specials where fans can enjoy $1 fountain sodas, $2 domestic drafts and $3 craft drafts and cocktails. Tickets are still available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES LOSE SIXTH STRAIGHT 7-4 AT SEGRA PARK: The Fireflies gave up four unearned runs in the fifth inning as they fell 7-4 to the Pelicans in their sixth straight loss Wednesday night at Segra Park. The Pelicans got their big inning in the top of the fifth. In a tie game with a runner in scoring position, Ben Hernandez (L, 1-2) had a throwing error that allowed Reivaj Garcia to reach with two outs. Ismael Mena scored on the play and after that, Brett Bateman singled and Jefferson Rojas hit a three-run blast to put Myrtle Beach in front 5-1. Austin Charles started the comeback for Columbia, hitting his third homer of the season to left to cut the Pelicans lead to three. The next inning, Jared Dickey hit a two-bagger and Emmanuel Pire walked to set the table for Roger Leyton. Leyton worked a single to right to bring home Dickey and then Pire came around on a wild pitch to bring Columbia within a single run.
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 seven games with at least one hit in each of those contests. All-in-all, he is 9-28 with a double, two triples and four 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 11-30 with two walks and a hit by pitch to earn a .429 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 15-game stretch that dates back to July 30. Over the run he has hits in all-except two games he has played in and is 17-49 (.321). 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/.373/.585 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.
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.
COSTLY MISTAKES: The Fireflies are 2-6 on this homestand and one big reason they've had so much trouble is because they've served up quite a few unearned runs. After a Ben Hernandez throwing error with two outs last night, four unearned runs came around on a night where Columbia lost by 3. Through the first eight games of this homestand, the Fireflies have served up 17 unearned runs (2.13/game) and allowed 55 earned runs to come through (6.78 ERA).
Carolina League Stories from August 17, 2023
- Mudcats Waste Big Lead in 11-10 Walk-off Loss - Carolina Mudcats
- Camilletti Drives in Three With Walk-off Double in Ninth for Instant Classic Victory Over Mudcats - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Augusta Lets Early Lead Slip, Drops Fifth Straight to FredNats - Augusta GreenJackets
- Freddies' 'Pen Holds off Augusta 4-3 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Suarez Sparkles in Debut, RiverDogs Best Wood Ducks 7-2 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Two Four-Run Innings Lead to 8-1 Win - Columbia Fireflies
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 8.17 vs Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
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