Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Augusta 9.1
September 1, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies close out their 2024 road slate with a 6:35 first pitch at SRP Park tonight to take on the Augusta GreenJackets. RHP Jonatan Bernal (1-4, 4.34 ERA) takes the slab for Columbia and Augusta counters with righty Jacob Shafer (0-1, 2.00 ERA).
Columbia closes out their series with the Augusta GreenJackets tomorrow night at 6:35 pm. Jonatan Bernal (1-4, 4.34 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia and Augusta counters with RHP Jacob Shafer (0-1, 2.00 ERA).
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COLUMBIA BOUNCES BACK VS AUGUSTA SATURDAY: The Columbia Fireflies rallied behind starter Logan Martin as they beat the GreenJackets 5-2 Saturday night at SRP Park. Logan Martin (W, 4-3) led the way for Columbia. The righty punched out seven over five scoreless innings before he passed the ball to the bullpen. Henson Leal kept it moving with two scoreless innings before Jesus Rios closed out the game. Rios worked a scoreless eighth before running into some trouble in the ninth. The righty allowed a pair to score before Elvis Novas (S, 9) entered to get the final out of the game. The Fireflies bats picked away at the GreenJackets for most of the night, starting in the second.
BULLPEN MANIA: The Fireflies bullpen has been the highlight of the team all season. After allowing two runs in four innings last night, Columbia's bullpen slipped to the second-best mark in all of Minor League Baseball with a 3.02 ERA over 524.0 innings in 2024. The club's bullpen record is 44-21 with 34 saves on the season. The pen has also punched out 560 opponents this season while holding opposing teams to a .223 average. The first-place team is the Midland Rockhounds who are 35-26 with a 2.95 ERA over 497.0 innings of work this season. The club has struck out 501 batters while holding opponents to a .212 average.
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: Saturday, Columbia beat Augusta 5-2 and Charleston defeated Fayetteville 3-2 for the two teams to remain even in the standings. Columbia currently sits 5.5 games behind Charleston and 1.0 game 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 is tied with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers for the best record in the South Division with eight games remaining in the season.
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.
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