Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Augusta 8.29
Published on August 29, 2024 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Augusta GreenJackets tonight at SRP Park at 7:05 pm. RHP Josh Hansell (3-2, 2.93 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia and Augusta counters with southpaw Herick Hernandez (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
The Fireflies return home for their final homestand of the regular season September 3-8. They'll close out the year with three firework shows, Harry Potter Night presented by Lowe's Foods with a Hogwarts House Scarf giveaway and USC Night presented by E.F. Martin with a rally towel giveaway. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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ARRONDE SETS TONE FOR FIREFLIES 8TH SHUTOUT OF 2024: The Fireflies pitching staff blanked the Augusta GreenJackets 3-0 behind a strong start from Felix Arronde Wednesday night at SRP Park. The shutout was Columbia's eighth of the 2024 season. Felix Arronde set the tone for the Fireflies pitching staff Wednesday night. The righty spun five hitless innings, alliowing just one baserunner off a walk before sending the ball to Columbia's bullpen. Juan Martinez kept the game scoreless, stranding a runner in scoring position in each of his two innings. The righty got the game to the eighth before Zachary Cawyer (W, 3-0) came out of the pen. Cawyer worked the final two innings to complete Columbia's eighth shutout of the season.
BULLPEN MANIA: The Fireflies bullpen has been the highlight of the team all season. After spinning four scoreless innings to lock down the shutout last night, Columbia's bullpen leads Minor League Baseball with a 3.00 ERA over 513 innings in 2024. The club's bullpen record is 44-19 with 33 saves on the season. The pen has also punched out 550 opponents this season while holding opposing teams to a .222 average. The second-place team is the Harrisburg Senators, who have a 3.02 ERA through 455.1 innings over 118 games this season. They are 29-24 with 31 saves in 44 opportunities and have punched out 515 opponents.
THIS IS 60: Tuesday, Austin Charles drove in two RBI thanks to a late homer to give him 60 RBI on the campaign. In 2023 only one Fireflies hitter finished the season with 55 or more RBI: Brett Squires, who had 69 RBI. The Fireflies single-season RBI record belongs to Juan Carlos Negret, who drove in 76 runs in a shortened 2021 season thanks in part to a franchise record 23 homers in a single season.
THE RACE INTENSIFIES: Wednesday Columbia shutout Augusta and Charleston beat Fayetteville to stay put in the standings. Columbia currently sits 3.5 games behind Charleston and 2.5 games in front of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in second in the division. As Kannapolis continues their second-half slide after their first-half division crown, the Fireflies have the best record in the South Division for the entire season. Columbia has the best overall record in the division by 1.0 game.
AWESOME ARRONDE: Wednesday, Felix Arronde struck out one over a handful of innings as he got a no-decision at Augusta. The righty leads the Fireflies with 98 punchouts on the season. His 98 strikeouts are tied for the most in a single-season for the Fireflies since 2020. Both Adrian Alcantara (2021) and Shane Panzini (2023) also have 98 strikeouts for the most in a single year since the schedule was shortened to 132 games.
MITCHELL'S MISSILES: Tuesday, Blake Mitchell blasted his Carolina League leading 18th homer of the season. Mitchell is the first Fireflies player to lead the league in homers since Juan Carlos Negret slapped 23 homers in a pandemic-shortened 2021 season. Mitchell is just one round-tripper shy of Ariel Almonte, who plays for the Daytona Tortugas, for the most round trippers in Single-A in 2024.
PILE 'EM UP: TCU product Zachary Cawyer has been on a roll with the Fireflies in 2024. He is 3-0 in six appearances spanning eight innings since being added to the roster August 5. Cawyer hasn't allowed a run since August 5.
Carolina League Stories from August 29, 2024
- Mudcats Race Past Lynchburg - Carolina Mudcats
- Logan's Single in Ninth Pushes Kannapolis Over Fredericksburg Thursday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Crooked Number in Eighth Lifts RiverDogs to Third Straight Victory - Charleston RiverDogs
- Pelicans Fall 2-1 to Wood Ducks - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Nationals Tie Game Late but Lose in Ninth - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Pitching Dominates in 2-1 Win Over Fireflies - Augusta GreenJackets
- Red Sox Shut Out Shorebirds on Thursday Night - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Throwing Miscues Lead to 2-1 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Hillcats Fall to Mudcats - Lynchburg Hillcats
- 2024 Playoff Tickets on Sale Now - Charleston RiverDogs
- RiverDogs Put Playoff Tickets on Sale for Potential Home Games - Charleston RiverDogs
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Augusta 8.29 - Columbia Fireflies
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