
Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Myrtle Beach
July 17, 2021 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies will play a doubleheader against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans beginning at 4:05 pm today at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Stadium. RHP Cruz Noriega (3-2, 3.88 ERA) climbs the rubber for the Fireflies in game one and LHP Emilio Marquez (4-0, 1.43 ERA) will go in game two. The Pelicans will send lefty DJ Herz (1-3, 3.89 ERA) to the bump for game one and will use righty Jeremiah Estrada (1-1, 0.57 ERA) in game two.
Columbia returns home Tuesday, July 20 to open up a seven-game set against the Augusta GreenJackets. The Fireflies will be celebrating Frontline Workers Appreciation Night, brought to you by T-Mobile, Princess Knight, presented by Lowes Foods and will have a t-shirt giveaway during the series. To purchase tickets for the event, visit FirefliesTickets.com.
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COLUMBIA FALLS IN EXTRAS IN BACK-AND-FORTH Contest: The Columbia Fireflies fought back-and-forth with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, but Jordan Nwogu called game, with a walk-off sacrifice bunt to hand the Fireflies their third consecutive loss 6-5 at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Stadium Friday evening. After a 1-2-3 ninth, Ismael Aquino (L, 0-1) came out in the 10th after the Fireflies offense couldn't score the runner from second. The righty forced a flyout to start the inning, then after the runner on second (Yohendrick Pinango) stole third base, he intentionally walked Jacob Wetzel, which put runners on the corners. Nwogu was able to lay down the bunt on a 1-0 count to end the game.
SLUMP BUSTERS: When a team is going through a losing streak or a slump, they typically depend on their ace to get out of the jam. In today's doubleheader versus the Pelicans, manager Brooks Conrad is going with the hot hands against the Pelicans this season. Righty Cruz Noriega will start game one. Noriega has twirled seven innings without allowing an earned run in a pair of games against Myrtle Beach this season, the starter has also fanned half a dozen batters in that time. Southpaw Emilio Marquez hasn't started a game since May 26, when he worked four scoreless against the GreenJackets, but Marquez has dealt against the Pelicans in 2021. In 9.1 innings, he has allowed two hits and no runs to score while wringing up 15 Pelicans hitters. The two have combined to hold the Pelicans to a .102 average in 16.1 innings while punching out 21 batters and only walking a pair.
CUTTING IT CLOSE: In 2021, one-run games have not been kind to the Columbia Fireflies. After last night's 6-5 loss in extras, the Fireflies are 5-9 in one-run games this season.
REELING WITH RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION: This season the Columbia Fireflies are hitting .205 with runners in scoring position, a mark that is last in the division. That wasn't helped much through the last homestand, where the team finished 11-71 (.155) with runners threatening. They got five of those 11 hits in Thursdays 20-run offensive onslaught with 16 opportunities.
WILLIS RESURGENCE: After lefty Marlin Willis had a rough May, where the reliever had a 8.31 ERA across six outings, he has found his way for the Fireflies. In Willis's last five outings he has spun 10 innings, punching out 18 batters while only allowing a single run. A big part of what Willis has done well in the last few weeks has been decreasing his walk rate as the season has progressed. In his first eight innings, of the season, he walked 13 batters and hit another pair, but in his last 7.1 innings, he has walked only three batters while striking out 16. Opponents are averaging .080 against Willis in that time.
WEBB GEM ON THE BUMP: Nathan Webb dominated out of the pen Friday. The righty grinded through 3.1 innings where he inherited six runners. Three came from Luis De Avila, who left the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth, and three more from the runner placed on second in each of the 10th, 11th and 12th innings. Webb pulled a Houdini act, keeping each of those runners from scoring and giving the Fireflies bats a chance to win the game in front of the fans at Segra Park.
Carolina League Stories from July 17, 2021
- Sox Fall Short in 7-6 Loss - Salem Red Sox
- RiverDogs Manhandle GreenJackets 22-0 in Sixth Straight Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- First-Inning Ambush Lifts FredNats to 11-6 Win - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Pelicans Split Doubleheader with Fireflies - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- 'Birds Fend off Wood Ducks in Saturday Win - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Collard Greens Can't Overcome Early Deficit in Loss to Delmarva - Down East Wood Ducks
- Fireflies Split Doubleheader with Pelicans - Columbia Fireflies
- Davis Moore Transferred to Wilmington - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Ballers Overpowered by Mudcats in Friday Night's Loss - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes at Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
- Down East Wood Ducks Game Notes - vs. Delmarva - Down East Wood Ducks
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