Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Myrtle Beach 8.18
August 18, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies conclude their season series with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans tonight at Pelicans Ballpark at 6:35 pm. RHP Hiro Wyatt (1-1, 3.00 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia and Myrtle Beach counters with righty JP Wheat (0-0, 7.11 ERA).
Columbia returns home for a six-game set with the Fredericksburg Nationals Tuesday, August 20-Sunday August 24. The homestand features The Office Night, First Responders Night and Faith & Family Night. For tickets and more information, visit ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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MOSS GETS FIRST HOMER IN 5-1 WIN: The Columbia Fireflies rallied behind a Callan Moss three-run blast in the eighth to beat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 5-1 Saturday night at Pelicans Ballpark. Callan Moss drove home the nail in the coffin in the top of the eighth. Moss smashed a three-run homer to score Hyungchan Um and Carter Frederick pushing the Fireflies lead to 5-1. Logan Martin (W, 3-3) worked five scoreless innings as the first arm out the pen for Columbia to hold Myrtle Beach pat until the ninth inning. At that point, Elvis Novas entered and closed out the game with a scoreless final frame.
BULLPEN MANIA: The Fireflies bullpen has been the highlight of the team all season. After working four, one-run innings Thursday, Columbia's bullpen now has a 3.13 ERA this season, which is the third-best mark in all of full-season baseball. It trails the Midland Rockhounds (2.97 ERA) and the Harrisburg Senators (3.08 ERA). The Fireflies are the only team in the top four bullpen ERAs in MiLB that has worked more than 450 innings this season.
MISSING MICHEL: Ismael Michel has stepped up in a big way over the last month for Columbia. The righty hasn't allowed a run in his last six outings (10 IP) which has pushed his ERA down from 3.27 on July 21 to 1.57 today, but what's been truly impressive is that he's allowed just one hit over his last five outings. On the run he is 3-0 with 10 strikeouts in nine innings pitched in relief for Columbia.
THIS IS 50: Sunday, Austin Charles drove in one RBI, giving him 52 on the young season. In 2023 only one Fireflies hitter finished the season with 50 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: Last night, Columbia won 5-1 over Myrtle Beach to gain a game on the first place Charleston RiverDogs. They currently sit 2.5 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.
AWESOME ARRONDE: Friday, Felix Arronde led the way with six two-run innings to earn his seventh quality start of the season for Columbia. It's the second time in his career that he has worked back-to-back quality starts. The righty also leads the Fireflies with 92 punchouts on the season. Since 2020, Shane Panzini and Adrian Alcantara lead the way with 98 strikeouts in a single season in the neon and navy.
MITCHELL'S MISSILES: Blake Mitchell has homered twice this week to give him 17 homers on the season. It's the second-most homers in the Carolina League this season, trailing Andy Garriola by just one. Garriola was called up to the South Bend Cubs earlier this month. He is just two homers behind Ariel Almonte, who plays for the Daytona Tortugas, for the most round trippers in Single-A in 2024.
UP NEXT: Columbia comes back home for a six-game set with the first place Fredericksburg Nationals.
Carolina League Stories from August 18, 2024
- Pelicans Fall in Finale to Fireflies 6-4 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Fireflies Hold off Late Rally to Claim Series - Columbia Fireflies
- Adamczewski to 7-Day IL - Carolina Mudcats
- Mudcats Split Series with Shorebirds - Carolina Mudcats
- Woodpeckers Erase Early Deficit to Earn Series Split in North Augusta - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Jackets Come up Short in Series Finale - Augusta GreenJackets
- Mudcats Rally Late to Salvage Finale - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Walk-Off Road Win Finishes Doubleheader Sweep on Sunday - Charleston RiverDogs
- Freddies Land Final Punch in 11-9 Victory - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Hillcats Edge Down East Sunday - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Myrtle Beach 8.18 - Columbia Fireflies
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