Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 9.2 vs Delmarva
September 2, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Delmarva Shorebirds tonight at Segra Park with a doubleheader scheduled for 4:30. The Fireflies will play two, seven inning games with a 30-minute break between games. RHP Felix Arronde (debut) will start game one for Columbia and RHP Emmanuel Pire (1-4, 4.50 ERA) takes the ball in game two. The Shorebirds counter with southpaw Luis De Leon (3-0, 0.82 ERA) in game one and RHP Alfred Vega (4-4, 6.35 ERA) in game two.
Tonight is Retro Video Game Night at Segra Park! We're planning on having such a great time, we're playing two games, beginning at 4:30 pm. We'll be giving away some amazing prizes, including a 75" tv, a retro Pac-Man arcade game and a Nintendo Switch. Even if you don't win a prize, fans can enjoy the fantastic fireworks display we have planned after the game. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS WITH 13-3 LOSS: The Fireflies allowed six runs in the fourth inning to fall behind 7-1 as they ended up dropping Friday's game at Segra Park 13-3 to the Delmarva Shorebirds. In the fourth inning, the Shorebirds hit around, scoring six runs to take a 7-1 lead over Columbia. After recording the first out of the inning, Ben Hernandez (L, 1-3) allowed five straight Delmarva hitters to reach, capping it off with a bases-clearing three-run triple from Matthew Etzel to push the Shorebirds' lead to 6-1 at the time. Etzel came home from a Wesley Scott wild pitch. The second big inning came in the eighth. Angel Tejada started the scoring, singling to plate Mac Horvath, who went 4-4 with two walks, scoring five runs against Columbia. Next, Stiven Acevedo singled to left to plate Tavian Josenberger and Matthew Etzel to make the lead 12-2. Finally, Jake Cunningham reached on a force out, allowing Tejada to come around.
HOT START: Carson Roccaforte started his Carolina League career on an eight-game hitting streak. Even though the hitting streak ended last Friday against Myrtle Beach, Roccaforte has reached base safely in each of his first 19 games in the circuit. The lefty is 20-65 with 14 walks and has put together a .438 on-base percentage while swiping 10 bases and driving in 11 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 131 frames he is 7-3 with a 3.02 ERA. He has held opponents to a respectable .241 average while keeping his walk rate low to earn an elite 1.11 WHIP. If that weren't enough, he also has 138 punchouts or 9.48 per nine innings pitched.
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: Tonight, Columbia is playing their 123rd and 124th game of the 131 games they have scheduled to play. The club has one road trip remaining, as they'll play six against Myrtle Beach. They will also play five more games remaining at Segra Park this year. They'll play five games against the Delmarva Shorebirds from August 29-September 3 to close out their home schedule. With their loss and the RiverDogs win last night, the Fireflies were officially eliminated from the playoffs in the 2023 season.
MASHING SQUIRES: Friday, Brett Squires capped off a fantastic month of August. The lefty leads the team in nearly every offensive category, including batting average (.263), home runs (13), RBI (61) and on-base percentage (.384). While he's had a top-10 on-base percentage all season, his August certainly helped his stock. In 25 games, the lefty mashed seven homers and drove in 23 RBI while slashing .337/.396/,630.
MAURICIO SCORCHES BALL IN MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT: Last night, Ronny Mauricio hit ninth and played second for the Mets in their game against the Seattle Mariners. With the start, he became the 23rd former Fireflies player to make their Major League debut and the fourth to do so this season. The 2019 Fireflies infielder went 2-3 in the Mets 2-1 victory, but his first hit came with some flair. The switch-hitter pulled double to the right field wall that travelled 117.3 MPH off his bat. The hit was the hardest-hit ball for a Mets' player this season and the hardest struck ball for a rookie since Statcast was introduced in 2015, according to MLB.com.
Carolina League Stories from September 2, 2023
- Ballers Use Franchise Record-Tying Seven Stolen Bases in Shutout Win Over Woodpeckers Saturday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Squires Puts Grand Touch on Doubleheader Sweep - Columbia Fireflies
- Shorebirds Swept by Fireflies in Doubleheader - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Cruz Plays the Hero in 4-3 Win - Fredericksburg Nationals
- RiverDogs Strike Out 19 Times in 7-1 Loss to Myrtle Beach - Charleston RiverDogs
- Henderson Totals 10 Ks in 13-1 Defeat of Down East - Carolina Mudcats
- GreenJackets Push Streak to Five, Continuing Dominance of Salem - Augusta GreenJackets
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 9.2 vs Delmarva - Columbia Fireflies
- Mauricio Scorches Ball in Major League Debut - Columbia Fireflies
- Pelicans Fall to RiverDogs, Will Play Charleston in Playoffs - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Boston Reliever Zack Kelly Sent on Rehab Assignment to Salem - Salem Red Sox
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