Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 8.24 at Carolina
August 24, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Carolina Mudcats tonight at Five County Stadium at 7 pm. RHP Shane Panzini (3-9, 4.68 ERA) takes the bump for Columbia and Carolina counters with RHP Yorman Galindez (1-0, 2.25 ERA).
The Fireflies will come home for one last homestand at Segra Park in 2023 as they face the Delmarva Shorebirds August 29-September 3. We'll host Retro Video Game Night, a Budweiser Thirsty Thursday and will wrap up the season with a Sunday Funday. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
-------------------------------
RALLY SHORT-LIVED AS FIREFLIES LOSE IN WALK-OFF FASHION: The Fireflies bats rallied late Wednesday night, taking the lead in the top of the ninth, but falling 7-6 in 10 innings to the Carolina Mudcats at Five County Stadium. The Mudcats didn't need a hit in extras to win the game. Yadher Areinamo started the inning placed on second. He moved to third on a wild pitch with one out and with two outs and an 0-1 count on Dylan O'Rae, Areinamo scampered home on Samuel Valerio's (L, 1-5) second wild pitch of the inning. The run will be unearned as it was placed on second. Columbia's rally restarted in the seventh inning with who else but Trevor Werner. Columbia's third baseman laced a double to right-center field to start the inning. Later, Roger Leyton laced a double to right field to plate Werner and bring the Fireflies within one, as they trailed 5-4 at the stretch.
HOT START: Carson Roccaforte's eight-game hitting streak to start his Carolina League career ended after an 0-1 outing Friday night vs Myrtle Beach, but in the contest he drew three walks, meaning that Roccaforte has reached base safely in each of his first 13 games in full-season baseball. All-in-all, he is 13-48 with two doubles, two triples and seven RBI.
PROFESSIONAL HITTER JARED DICKEY: Fireflies outfielder Jared Dickey is on a tear. Last night, he singled in the first to extend his hitting streak. The former Tennessee Volunteer is riding a team-best eight-game hitting streak entering today's game. Dickey is 15-34 (.441) with two doubles, a triple and eight RBI during the run. He's been even better against the Pelicans this year. In five games last week, Dickey was 10-20 (.500) with seven RBI.
CAREER MILESTONES FOR RAYO: Last night, Oscar Rayo notched another quality start. The lefty is 21 years old and already in his third season in professional ball. Across those three seasons, the southpaw has now thrown 125 innings. In 125 frames he is 7-3 with a 2.95 ERA. He has held opponents to a respectable .241 average while keeping his walk rate low to earn an elite 1.10 WHIP. If that weren't enough, he also has 136 punchouts or 9.79 per nine innings pitched.
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: Tonight, Columbia is playing their 116th game of the 131 games they have scheduled to play. The club has two road trips remaining, with four games against Carolina and six against Myrtle Beach remaining. They will also play six more games remaining at Segra Park this year. They'll play six games against the Delmarva Shorebirds from August 29-September 3 to close out their home schedule. With 17 games remaining, the Fireflies trail the Charleston RiverDogs by eight games in the South Division second-half standings.
WERNING OPPONENTS: Trevor Werner has demolished the baseball in the first two games against Carolina. Last night in the second, Werner hit his third homer of the series and he has gone 5-7 with three blasts and a double so far this week. It's hard to believe the hot stretch actually started well before this series began, Werner is one of four Fireflies players riding a seven-game hitting streak right now, but the third baseman has the most guady numbers of the class. On the run, Werner is 11-27 (.407) with three homers and 12 RBI in just seven games dating back to August 14. His streak is two games back of Jared Dickey's active nine-game hitting streak, which is tied with Omar Hernandez for the longest hitting streak for a Fireflies player this season.
Carolina League Stories from August 24, 2023
- Ramirez's Two-Run Double Sends Pelicans to Third Walk-Off Win in a Row - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Galindez Shines as Mudcats Edge Fireflies 2-1 - Carolina Mudcats
- Lynchburg Holds off Delmarva Again to Take Series Lead - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Loftin's Dash Home in Ninth Seals Fayetteville's Third Straight Win - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Salem Edges Fredericksburg 2-1 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Hillcats Earn Win Over Shorebirds - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Collins, Tavarez Drive in Two Each, Frey Picks Up First Pro Win Thursday - Augusta GreenJackets
- Errors Costly as RiverDogs Edged 5-4 by Augusta on Thursday - Charleston RiverDogs
- Fireflies Drop Pitcher's Duel 2-1 to Mudcats - Columbia Fireflies
- Kannapolis to Host Inaugural Celebration of Heroes - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- RHP Gerson Calzadilla Placed on IL - Carolina Mudcats
- Homestand Preview: Final Home Series of Regular Season Filled with Honor and Appreciation - Charleston RiverDogs
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 8.24 at Carolina - Columbia Fireflies
- Fireflies Announce 2024 Schedule - Columbia Fireflies
- Dombroski Dominates DEWD's - Down East Wood Ducks
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.
