Columbia Fireflies Game Notes June 25 vs Charleston
June 25, 2022 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Charleston RiverDogs tonight at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park at 6:05 pm. RHP Luinder Avila (3-6, 5.94 ERA) takes the bump for Columbia and RHP Daiveyon Whittle (0-2, 3.71 ERA) counters for Charleston.
Independence Day is right around the corner! Have a blast at Segra Park the whole weekend with two of the largest fireworks displays in the history of Segra Park being blasted off! We'll start the weekend with Fireworks with the Phil, presented by Prisma Health July 2 and we'll keep the party going as the Fireflies take on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans July 4. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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COLUMBIA STARTS SECOND HALF OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT: The Fireflies used a four-run seventh to upend the Charleston RiverDogs 7-4 and take the first game of the second half of the season at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park Friday night. The Fireflies (1-0) pushed away in the seventh inning. After loading the bases with one out in the seventh, Guillermo Quintana, Enrique Valdez and Omar Florentino hit three consecutive RBI singles to increase Columbia's lead to 6-2. Then Jean Ramirez grounded into a fielder's choice that scored a run, leaving runners on the corners in a 7-2 game. The Fireflies kept the ball rolling in the third inning. With Daniel Vazquez at second, David Hollie reached on a two-out fielding error from Charleston's (0-1) shortstop, allowing Vazquez to score and Columbia's lead to swell to 2-0. Columbia continued to add on later. In the fourth inning, the Fireflies loaded the bases with one out on RiverDogs' starter Christian Fernandez. Town was at the plate again, and he came through for a second time, smashing a sacrifice fly to deep center field to score Guillermo Quintana and put the Fireflies in front 3-0.
STARTING IT OFF RIGHT: Saturday night, River Town crushed the third pitch of the ball game out of Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, hitting the Fireflies first lead-off homer of the season. In fact, you have to go back nearly three years, to find the last time a Fireflies hitter smacked a lead-off homerun. It was Walter Rasquin who accomplished the feat July 11, 2019 at Augusta.
NEW YEAR, NEW ME: The second half of the season started yesterday, which reset each team's record to 0-0. The Fireflies finished the first half (66 games) 28 games back of Myrtle Beach, who had the best record in Minor League Baseball. After yesterday's second-half opening win, The Fireflies are tied with Myrtle Beach and Fayetteville for first place in the second half.
TRIPLE CROWN THREAT: One Fireflies player h 0-2as been running away with the top batting stats of the season. After smacking a lead-off homer and driving in two RBI, River Town has the highest batting average (.245), homerun total (9) and RBI tally (27) on the Fireflies. The closest competitor in each category would be Darryl Collins (.230) in average and Carter Jensen in homers (eight) and RBI (24).
SOMEBODY SAVE ME: Last night, Shane Connolly earned the first save of his professional career. It was bigger than just that though. He is the first Fireflies player other than Luis Barroso to earn a save in 2022.
SINGING THE BLUES: The Fireflies have struggled in their navy jerseys this season, owning a 4-19 record when they don the blues through the first 65 games of the 2022 campaign.
WILY WILLIS: In his 37th appearance in the neon and navy, Marlin Willis earned his first win. He is now 1-2 in his career with the Fireflies across 60.2 innings of work. In his second season in the Soda City, the southpaw has a 4.07 ERA in 14 appearances, fanning 33 in 24.1 innings and holding opponents to a .189 average. Columbia's reliever has been on a tear since the end of April though. After recording an 8.53 ERA in the first month of the season, Willis continues to perform better as time passes. He went 0-1 with a 2.92 ERA in six games spanning 12.1 innings in May and is 1-0 in his first four games of June with a 1.59 ERA in 5.2 innings.
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Carolina League Stories from June 25, 2022
- 'Birds Hang on Late in Thrilling One-Run Win over Hillcats - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Augusta Wins Wild Ten-Inning Battle with Fayetteville - Augusta GreenJackets
- Pelicans Fall 6-4 to Cannon Ballers on Saturday Night - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Mudcats Held to One Hit in 5-0 Loss - Carolina Mudcats
- FredNats Look For Series Split Sunday In Salem - Fredericksburg Nationals
- RiverDogs Fall 7-3 to Fireflies for Second Straight Loss - Charleston RiverDogs
- Fireflies Overrun RiverDogs, Win 7-3 - Columbia Fireflies
- Collard Greens Clinch Series with the Win - Down East Wood Ducks
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes June 25 vs Charleston - Columbia Fireflies
- Kannapolis Outlasted in Tough Friday Night Loss to Myrtle Beach 10-4 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
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