Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Kannapolis 6.30
Published on June 30, 2024 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies close out their series with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers today at 1 pm. RHP Mauricio Veliz (0-1, 4.00 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia and Kannapolis sends southpaw Lucas Gordon (6-1, 1.88 ERA) to the bump.
The Fireflies return home for a three-game series to celebrate our Nation's Independence Day to kick-off July. Join us for Military Appreciation Night July 2, our Independence Day Celebration July 3 and Fireworks with the Philharmonic presented by Prisma Health July 4. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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FIREFLIES NO HIT IN 6-0 LOSS TO 'BALLERS: The Columbia Fireflies were no hit in a 6-0 loss to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Saturday night at Atrium Health Ballpark. Seth Keener, Luke Bell and Matt Altermann combined to no-hit the Fireflies. Keener allowed one walk in six innings where he punched out seven Fireflies and Bell went a pair of innings before handing the ball to Altermann to close out the ninth. It was the first time Columbia has been no-hit since May 1, 2023 when three Myrtle Beach Pelicans combined to no-hit the Fireflies. Kannapolis got the scoring started in the first inning. After Rikuu Nishida led the game off with a triple, Caden Connor lifted a sacrifice fly to left to break the scoreless tie. Connor came through again in the home half of the third inning. Arxy Hernandez earned a one out walk and then Connor laced a double to right to increase Kannapolis' lead to 2-0.
GOING STREAKING: Catcher Dionmy Salon is riding a hot streak for Columbia. He is on his longest hitting streak of the season, an eight-game stretch that began June 9 and is tied for the fourth-longest active hitting streak in the Carolina League. Salon is 9-23 (.391) on the run and has three RBI. Another Fireflies player who's been an on-base machine in June has been Blake Mitchell. Mitchell kicked-off a 20-game on-base streak June 1. It was the fourth-longest on-base streak in the Carolina League before yesterday's game. Over Mitchell's 20 games, he hit .258, but has drew 21 walks to increase his on-base percentage to .444 in June.
QUALITY FELIX: Sunday, Felix Arronde worked his team-leading fourth quality start of the season. He's one ahead of Ethan Bosacker for the most on the Fireflies. So far this season, Arronde has a 4-5 record to pair with a 3.71 ERA. He's been able to persevere despite receiving the lowest run support of any regular Fireflies starter this year. The bats are scoring 2.39 runs per nine innings when Arronde is on the hill in 2024.
KICKING WITH KIRKLAND: In Doug Kirkland's last seven outings, he has allowed just one earned run spanning 12.1 innings of work (0.73 ERA). In that time, he has 16 punchouts and his opponents are hitting .114 against him. In his first full professional season, Kirkland is 3-3 with a 2.81 ERA. He has an outlandish 36 strikeouts in 25.2 innings and opponents are hitting just .179 against him this season.
POWERING PENA: Erick Pena is clobbering the ball in June. He leads the Carolina League in OPS (1.004), second in total bases (46) and RBI (19), third in homeruns (4) and 10th in batting average (.299) over the month. On the season, the outfielder is hitting a career-best .222 and is approaching career highs in homers (he has eight, his career-best is 10) and RBI (he has 35, his career-best is 36). He's been able to increase his power numbers while also increasing his on-base percentage to .313, which is 37 points higher than it was during the 2023 season. While it isn't perfect, he's also dropped his K% from 53% in 2023 to 39% in 2024.
LEAVE THEM STRANDED: The Columbia Fireflies have held the Cannon Ballers to 2-34 with runners in scoring position over their last four games. The Fireflies have won those games 6-3, 4-1 and 7-2 while limiting the damage despite leaving some opportunities for the Cannon Ballers to strike for some runs.
COMING HOME: Monday the Fireflies start a three-game homestand with the Augusta GreenJackets.
Carolina League Stories from June 30, 2024
- Pelicans Drop Series Finale to Woodpeckers 8-2 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Woodpeckers Grab Series Finale in Myrtle, Take Four of Six from Pelicans - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Dominate Bullpen Effort Leads Lynchburg Past Carolina - Carolina Mudcats
- Polanco Dazzles as Nats Win Series - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Shorebirds Hold off Wood Ducks in Series Finale - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Salon's Three-Hit Day Leads to 7-3 Win - Columbia Fireflies
- Kern Slugs, Pitching Shoves in 2-0 Series Finale - Augusta GreenJackets
- RiverDogs Blanked in Series Finale, Settle for Split - Charleston RiverDogs
- Columbia Fireflies Homestand Preview: 7.1-7.4 - Columbia Fireflies
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Kannapolis 6.30 - Columbia Fireflies
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