Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Kannapolis 6.27
Published on June 27, 2026 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers tonight at Atrium Health Ballpark at 7 pm. RHP Michael Lombardi (2-3, 2.65 ERA) takes the slab for Columbia and Kannapolis counters with RHP Caedmon Parker (2-4, 4.10 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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RAMIREZ MASHES TWO HOMERS IN 5-0 WIN: The Columbia Fireflies blanked the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5-0 behind another strong start from Jose Gutierrez and four early homers Friday Night. The Fireflies have taken the first four games of the six-game series against Kannapolis. Josh Hammond got things started for the Fireflies. The shortstop clobbered his fifth homer of the season and his second of the road trip to start the game. It was Columbia's second lead-off blast of the season. Henry Ramos hit one May 20 at Augusta.
STERLING STARTERS: The Fireflies starting rotation has the second-best ERA in Minor League Baseball this season. The group has recorded a 15-14 record combined with a 3.32 ERA over 317.1 innings through the first 73 games of the season. Fireflies starters have 318 strikeouts and have held opponents to a .235 AVG on the season. The Fredericksburg Nationals lead the way with a 3.25 ERA through their first 72 games. As a whole, the Fireflies staff has the fifth-best ERA in Minor League Baseball at 4.00.
LUMINOUS LOMBARDI: Michael Lombardi has been a master of the strikeout this season. Sunday, he etched seven strikeouts across 4.2 innings of work. Lombardi is tied for the fourth-most strikeouts (81) in Single-A over 51.0 innings of work. Palm Beach's Cade Crossland leads the way with 86. Lombardi has the fourth-best K/9 rate in Minor League Baseball among pitchers with at least 50 innings this season (14.29). Seth Hernandez leads the way at 14.54.
SEAN IS SHOWING 'EM: Yesterday, Sean Gamble went 0-5 at the plate, which ended his 12-game hitting streak. It was the Fireflies second-longest hitting streak of the season behind Stone Russell, who hit safely in 13-consecutive games. On the run, Gamble hit .357 (15-42) with nine steals and nine RBI. He also scored six runs on the streak.
HIP HIP, JOSE: Friday, Jose Gutierrez worked 6.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts at Kannapolis. It was his fourth quality start in five starts this month. During June, Gutierrez is 4-0 with a 1.65 ERA. He has 26 strikeouts and only two walks across 27.1 innings to combine with a 0.77 WHIP. Gutierrez leads the Carolina League in IP, has the third-most strikeouts, has the second-best WHIP among those with 15 or more innings of work, has tallied the fourth-best K:BB rate (13.00) and has the fifth-best ERA of those with at least 15 innings of work this month.
MULTI-HIT HAMMOND: After a 4-4 effort Thursday, Josh Hammond homered in the first inning and singled in the second frame Friday to hit safely in six-consecutive plate appearances. That ties a Fireflies franchise record and is the fourth time the feat has been accomplished. Lizandro Rodriguez was the last Fireflies player to accomplish the feat from August 8-10, 2023. Chase Chambers and Raphael Gladu were the other two to hit in six-straight at-bats.
PROPENSITY FOR THE POP: Last night the Fireflies went on a homer frenzy. The club hit four homers in a single game for the first time since they hit four homers in both games of a doubleheader at Augusta April 30, 2023. The franchise record is five homers in a game, which was accomplished August 5, 2018 at Asheville. Angel Ramirez led the way with a pair of homers and along with Gabriel Silva became the first Fireflies duo to homer back-to-back since Jaswel De Los Santos and Edgar Martinez did so in the bottom of the second inning against the Delmarva Shorebirds May 8, 2022.
Carolina League Stories from June 27, 2026
- Four-Game Win Streak Ends in Delmarva Defeat - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- 18 Strikeouts, Five-Run Seventh Lifts Salem Past Pelicans, 8-5 - Salem RidgeYaks
- Crawdads Topple Hill City, 12-4 - Hickory Crawdads
- Wilson, Fredericksburg Split Doubleheader - Wilson Warbirds
- Boughton's Homer Helps Break Cold Snap for Ballers in Saturday Win over Fireflies - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Delmarva Returns to Win Column with Big Offensive Night - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Five-Run Seventh Inning Dooms Pelicans, Fall to RidgeYaks, 8-5 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- FredNats Split Doubleheader With Wilson - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Bullpen Brilliant in Stressful Saturday Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- Ninth Inning Rally Falls Short in 4-1 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- RiverDogs Fall, 7-5, in Back-And-Forth Contest with GreenJackets - Charleston RiverDogs
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Kannapolis 6.27 - Columbia Fireflies
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