Columbia Fireflies Game Notes June 5 vs Salem
June 5, 2022 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies close out their 12-game road trip vs the Salem Red Sox today at 5:05 pm at Salem Memorial Ballpark. RHP Ben Hernandez (0-3, 5.66 ERA) gets the ball for Columbia and Salem counters with RHP Juan Daniel Encarnacion (4-3, 4.20 ERA).
Columbia returns home for a two-week homestand June 7-19 that includes two Budweiser Thirsty Thursdays, two Freebie Fridays, two firework shows and the return of Negro League Weekend! Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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COLUMBIA STUMBLES LATE IN 6-2 LOSS: The Fireflies bullpen faltered late, allowing three runs in the eighth, as Columbia fell 6-2 to the Salem Red Sox Saturday night at Salem Memorial Ballpark. Frank Mozzicato got back on the right track in Saturday's game vs Salem. The southpaw retired each of the first nine hitters he faced, punching out a career-high five of them. Columbia's started lasted 3.1 innings before getting yanked after throwing 58 pitches. He would allow two runs to score after leaving the contest. Both runners reached base off the free pass, as Mozzicato didn't allow a hit in the ball game. Salem (27-23) scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth. Phillip Sikes started the frame off with a triple off reliever Ben Wereski (L, 0-2). He scored after Red Soxs' top prospect, Marcelo Mayer launched a sacrifice fly to center to give Salem a 3-2 edge.
BROKEN BATS: The bats have struggled in Virginia. Through the first 341 chances, Columbia is hitting .155 and is 9-77 (.117) with runners in scoring position. Coming into the road trip, the Fireflies already owned the worst batting average in Minor League Baseball, a .194 mark. The second-worst batting average in baseball belongs to the Tri-City Dust Devils, who have a .207 average in their first 45 games of the season.
THE THREE AMIGOS' WEEK: This week was a challenging one for the three high school draftees in the rotation for the Columbia Fireflies, but Frank Mozzicato, Ben Kudrna and Shane Panzini all rose to the moment to rebound from unique challenges well. As a whole, the three allowed three earned runs through 8.1 innings and fanned eight hitters along the way. That puts the groups' ERA in Salem at 3.24, which is a little more than two full points beneath the team ERA at this point in the season. We're likely to see Panzini pitch twice in next week's series vs the Augusta GreenJackets and Kudrna twice in the series vs Carolina. In other words, we'll see a lot of the young stars at Segra Park.
MAKING MY WAY DOWN TOWN: Fireflies outfielder River Town has been hot this series against Salem, notching six hits, including four doubles in his last four games. Since May 27, Town has a hit in seven of eight games he's played, and is 9-33 (.273) with two walks and three RBI across those eight games.
WILLIS THE WAYFINDER: After a rough 2021 season, southpaw Marlin Willis has been hitting a groove with the Fireflies in 2022. He struggled a bit to open up the season, spinning an 8.53 ERA in April, but since, has kept things under control. May was the start of something new for the lefty, who punched out 19 hitters in 12.1 innings while working a 2.92 ERA in six outings. Last night, he kept things rolling to kick-off June with a scoreless frame of relief work against Salem.
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: Following the first 48 games of the 2022 campaign, Columbia ranks 120th in batting average (.195), 120th in fielding percentage (.948) and 94th in ERA (5.28) out of 120 teams in Minor League Baseball. The pitching staff has allowed more total runs (earned and unearned) than 106 other teams this season.
COMING UP: The Fireflies return home Tuesday for a two-week homestand vs Augusta and Carolina. It will be the first time the Mudcats and Fireflies play each other. The homestand will include two Budweiser Thirsty Thursdays, two fireworks shows, Pride Night and Negro League Weekend. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
Carolina League Stories from June 5, 2022
- Pagan Drives in Five, Pelicans Take Series from Shorebirds - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Shorebirds Split Final Two Games in Myrtle Beach - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Chourio Stays Red Hot in 6-3 Finale Victory - Carolina Mudcats
- Carolina Blunts Hillcats' Comeback - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Fireflies Swept After 7-4 Sunday Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Woodpeckers Secure First Home Series Victory in Close Battle with FredNats - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- FredNats Lose Close Game in Fayetteville Finale - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Cannon Ballers Escape SRP Park with Sunday Victory - Augusta GreenJackets
- Marte's Sliding Stop Helps RiverDogs Escape with 4-3 Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes June 5 vs Salem - Columbia Fireflies
- Woodies pitching shuts out RiverDogs - Down East Wood Ducks
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