Columbia Fireflies Game Notes August 25 vs Salem
August 25, 2022 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Salem Red Sox tonight at Segra Park. RHP Ben Kudrna (2-4, 2.88 ERA) takes the ball for Columbia and Salem sends RHP Reidis Sena (0-0, 1.65 ERA) to the bump.
Tonight is a Budweiser Thirsty Thursday at Segra Park. Fans can enjoy half-priced draft beer and fountain sodas, as well as $2 12 oz cans of Bud Light at concessions stands during the game. Tickets are still available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES TAKE IT ON RODRIGUEZ WALK-OFF BLAST: The Fireflies utilized three homers, including a walk-off blast to beat the Salem Red Sox 5-4 Wednesday night at Segra Park. Lizandro Rodriguez got to play hero, cranking his first homer in a Fireflies uniform to right field with one out in the bottom of the ninth to win the game 5-4. Frank Mozzicato put together his best performance in the neon and navy Wednesday night. The southpaw earned his first quality start, spinning a career-high six innings and tying a career-best seven strikeouts without allowing a run. He also issued only one walk in the six innings of work before passing the ball to the bullpen.
RODRIGUEZ IS ROLLING: After going hitless in his first two games in Columbia, infielder Lizandro Rodriguez has been on a tear, hitting in eight consecutive games. During the run, Rodriguez is 11-26 (.423) at the plate with two doubles, a homer and three RBI. Only one Fireflies player has a hitting streak longer than seven games this season, Guillermo Quintana, who had a 10-game streak June 24-July 8.
MULTI-HIT JEAN: Tuesday, Jean Ramirez showed off his power stroke, hitting his second homer of the homestand and his fourth homer of the season in the eighth inning vs Salem. He also notched his 15th multi-hit game of the season. Enrique Valdez had the most multi-hit games for a Columbia player this season, carrying 18 through his promotion to Quad Cities. Guillermo Quintana and River Town also had more multi-hit games than Ramirez, although Ramirez has played the fewest games of any of those four players. Ramirez has now played in 49 games for the Fireflies in 2022, meaning he is averaging two multi-hit games per series in the Carolina League.
SECOND-HALF FIREFLIES?: After trudging to the finish line of the first-half of the season with a Carolina League-worst 18-48 record, the Fireflies burst onto the scene in the second-half, sweeping Augusta after taking two of the first three games with the RiverDogs to begin the second slate 8-1. Since then, the Fireflies have a 19-21 record (.475) and are 3.5 games back of first place. Columbia's elimination number is 14 with 16 games remaining. Columbia has now won three series this season, and all three series (at Augusta June 28-July 3, at Myrtle Beach August 9-14 and vs Kannapolis August 16-21) have come in the second half.
SWING AND A MISS: Lefty Marlin Willis accomplished a feat that most professionals only joke about through their career. The Georgia native fanned four hitters in the eighth inning Thursday. It was the first time a pitcher has struckout four batters in one inning while wearing a Fireflies uniform. Willis has been on a tear in the second half of the season, punching out 23 hitters in 12 innings to spin a 2.53 ERA in nine games.
100 CLUB: Sunday, Luinder Avila became the first pitcher since 2019 to spin 100 innings in a single campaign. Last season, Adrian Alcantara was the closest, as he worked 97.1 innings. In 2019, Willy Taveras, Christian James and Jose Butto all spun at least 100 innings for the Fireflies.
SOUTHPAW SIZZLES: After spinning his first quality start Wednesday night vs Salem, Frank Mozzicato has put together an impressive last three outings, spinning 15 innings while allowing only two earned runs (1.20 ERA). During the stretch, the Connecticut native has punched out 20 batters (12 K/9 IP).
Carolina League Stories from August 25, 2022
- Sibrian Stays Hot, But Mudcats Fall 4-3 - Carolina Mudcats
- Wood Ducks best FredNats on Thirsty Thursday - Fredericksburg Nationals
- 2022 CSRA Job & Career Fair Set for Tuesday, August 30th - Augusta GreenJackets
- Homestand Preview: RiverDogs Rolling into Final Homestand of Regular Season - Charleston RiverDogs
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes August 25 vs Salem - Columbia Fireflies
- Kannapolis' Late Comeback Effort Falls Just Short in 5-3 Defeat to Carolina Wednesday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Birds' Bats Explode for 16 Hits, 13 Runs in 13-6 Win over GreenJackets - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Losing Streak Ends in Shutout Fashion as Woodpeckers Blank RiverDogs - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Myrtle Beach Erupts Late to Take Game Two - Augusta GreenJackets
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