Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Hickory 6.21
Published on June 21, 2026 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies wrap-up their series with the Hickory Crawdads this afternoon at L.P. Frans Stadium at 2 pm. RHP Jose Gutierrez (4-2, 3.68 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia and Hickory counters with righty Evan Siary (2-2, 3.76 ERA).
The Fireflies return home for 12 games in 13 days from June 30-July 12. The team will celebrate America's 250th birthday with the biggest fireworks show of the year, Saturday, July 4 and will continue with fireworks and a patriotic theme all weekend thanks to SC 250. The next weekend, the club is throwing it back to the 90s for the return of the Capital City Bombers thanks to Cassell Brothers Home Services. Join the team for a bobble plane giveaway Friday, July 10 and a drone show Saturday, July 11. Buy your tickets now at FirefliesTickets.com.
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COLUMBIA BLANKED 6-0 BY CRAWDADS SATURDAY: The Fireflies were shutout 6-0 by the Hickory Crawdads Saturday night at L.P. Frans Stadium. The loss was Columbia's second-consecutive shutout. The Crawdads broke through in the bottom of the third inning. Daniel Flames laced a double down the left field line to start the inning and came around on a Curley Martha single to give Hickory a 1-0 lead. The big inning for Hickory's bats came in the sixth. All nine came to the plate for the Crawdads, who notched five runs on six hits to take a 6-0 lead heading into the final third of the game. The big hits in the inning belonged to Flames, who smacked another double down the third base line to score Angel Arredondo and Luis Marquez and Sebastion Baquera who singled to right to bring home Flames and Martha.
NO RUN, NO FUN: The Fireflies have not scored a run since Stone Russell hit a two-out two-run double in the 10th inning of a 6-4 win over the Hickory Crawdads Thursday. The Hickory Crawdads pitching staff has held the Fireflies scoreless for 18.1 consecutive innings heading into today's game. The last time the Fireflies were shutout in back-to-back games was July 13-17, 2025 when Charleston blanked Columbia 3-0 before the All-Star Break and Kannapolis beat Columbia 1-0 in the first game following the break.
STERLING STARTERS: The Fireflies starting rotation has the fourth-best ERA in Minor League Baseball this season. The group has recorded an 11-14 record combined with a 3.58 ERA over 292 innings through the first 68 games of the season. Fireflies starters have 298 strikeouts and have held opponents to a .241 AVG on the season. The Jupiter Hammerheads lead the way with a 3.27 ERA over 280.1 innings in their first 67 contests.
LUMINOUS LOMBARDI: Michael Lombardi has been a master of the strikeout this season. Friday, he etched six strikeouts across 4.2 innings of work. Lombardi has the second-most strikeouts (74) in Single-A over 46.1 innings of work. Palm Beach's Cade Crossland is first with 78. Lombardi has the second-best K/9 rate in Minor League Baseball among pitchers with at least 45 innings this season (14.37). Seth Hernandez leads the way at 15.04. Lombardi also has the fourth-best strikeout percentage in Minor League Baseball among players with at least 45 innings pitched this season. Arkansas's Kade Anderson leads the way. He has struck out 43.2% of batters faced this season.
HIP HIP, JOSE: Tuesday, Jose Gutierrez worked seven innings and allowed three runs off five hits while striking out four Hickory Crawdads. It was the righty's third-consecutive quality start. The last time a Fireflies pitcher spun seven or more innings came in 2024. Jonatan Bernal worked seven frames in a 9-0 drubbing of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at Pelicans Ballpark August 14. In the month of June, Gutierrez is 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA. He has 17 strikeouts and only one walk across 19 innings to combine with a 0.84 WHIP.
IT'S HOT IN COLUMBIA: The Fireflies have won eight of their last 11 games dating back to June 6. The club turned on the heat in June after finishing both April and May below .500. Columbia carries an 11-5 record over the first half of their June slate.
ON THE ROAD: Following the off-day, Columbia continues their road trip at Atrium Health Ballpark in Kannapolis.
Carolina League Stories from June 21, 2026
- Rough Eighth Inning Costs Fayetteville in Series Finale - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Poteet Homers for Third Straight Game, Pelicans Ground Shorebirds 7-2 in Series Finale - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Patience Pays off as Jackets Complete Comeback - Augusta GreenJackets
- Stark's Homer the Difference in 4-3 Win - Hickory Crawdads
- Shorebirds Fall in Finale to Pelicans - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Late Rally Not Enough as Fireflies Fall 4-3 - Columbia Fireflies
- Great Pitching Leads FredNats to Series Win Over Salem - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Charleston Overpowers Wilson in Series Finale - Wilson Warbirds
- Five-Run Third Paces RiverDogs to 11-2 Win in Finale with Wilson - Charleston RiverDogs
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Hickory 6.21 - Columbia Fireflies
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