Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 9.5 at Myrtle Beach
September 5, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies kick-off their final series of the season with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at 7:05 pm tonight at Pelicans Park. RHP Logan Martin (0-0, 9.00 ERA) takes the bump for Columbia and Myrtle Beach counters with RHP Erian Rodriguez (5-6, 6.54 ERA).
Thanks so much for an amazing season at Segra Park! For more information about upcoming events at Segra Park, including our Red Barn Retreat Concert starring Chris Janson in October and Fireflies Holiday Lights in November and December, visit ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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COLUMBIA FALLS IN EXTRAS IN FINALE AT SEGRA PARK: The Fireflies took the lead early, but couldn't hold on, falling 5-4 in 10 innings Sunday evening at Segra Park. Chazz Martinez (L, 6-8) was brilliant, spinning 3.1 innings without allowing an earned run. He entered the game and stranded two inherited runners with a ground out, but in the 10th, he allowed a two out single to Randy Florentino that plated TT Bowens to give the Shorebirds a 5-4 lead. The big blow came in the fourth inning for Columbia. Brett Squires started the rally cry with a triple. After a two out walk to Spencer Nivens, Lizandro Rodriguez roped his seventh homer of the series to the home run porch to make Columbia's lead 4-0 heading to the fifth inning.
WERNER LOCKS DOWN SECOND-CONSECUTIVE WEEKLY HONOR: The Columbia Fireflies, in conjunction with the Carolina League and Major League Baseball, have announced that Trevor Werner has been named the Carolina League Player of the Week for the week of August 28-September 3. Werner is the first Fireflies player to win the award in back-to-back weeks and continues to attack Carolina League pitching better than just about any hitter in the league. This week, the Texas A&M product hit .429 (9-21) with three doubles, two homers and six RBI. His biggest homer came to tie game two of Columbia's doubleheader Saturday, which led to a walk-off winning grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning. In 25 games this season in Columbia, Werner is slashing .341/.450/.692 and has an impeccable 1.142 OPS. The Royals' seventh round pick has seven homers and 27 RBI in his stint in the Carolina League.
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 22 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: The Fireflies are playing their final series of the year with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. With six games remaining, the club has a 64-61 record, and is two wins away from clinching their first .500 record in franchise history. Prior to this season, the team's best record was in 2017, when they finished 68-70.
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 (.266), home runs (14), RBI (67) 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.
Carolina League Stories from September 5, 2023
- Fisher's Ten Total Bases Power 3-2 Win Over Charleston - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Kalmer's Go-Ahead Home Run Lifts Pelicans Over Fireflies - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Shorebirds Take Series Opener 4-0 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Shorebirds Blank Nationals in Series Opener - Delmarva Shorebirds
- GreenJackets Pitchers Record 18 Strikeouts, Silence Wood Ducks Tuesday - Augusta GreenJackets
- Trio of Solo Home Runs Push Woodpeckers Past RiverDogs 3-2 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Fireflies Fall 5-2 After Late Pelicans Rally - Columbia Fireflies
- Mudcats Lower Magic Number to Two with 6-1 Victory - Carolina Mudcats
- Hillcats Blanked by Cannon Ballers - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Brian Kalmer Named Carolina League Player of the Month for August - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 9.5 at Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
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