Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Augusta
May 30, 2021 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies wrap up their series with the Augusta GreenJackets this afternoon at 5:05 pm. Righty Ben Hernandez (0-1, 4.50 ERA) gets his second start of the series and again matches up against Augusta's RHP Spencer Strider (0-0, 0.00 ERA) who has gone 11.1 scoreless innings to start his season.
Today is Military Appreciation Night presented by All South Federal Credit Union. The Fireflies are releasing their fourth annual Military Hero Card Set, featuring 16 local military heroes. Gates open at 4 pm.
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BATS LIGHT UP AUGUSTA ON FIREWORKS NIGHT AT SEGRA PARK: The Columbia Fireflies had eight hitters reach base safely as the bats scored five in the first three innings in a 10-2 win over the Augusta GreenJackets Saturday at Segra Park. The Columbia (15-8) bats continued to flip the season narrative on its head against the Augusta GreenJackets (9-14). Coming into the series, the Fireflies had been outscored 52-32 in the first third of the game entering this series, and the last three nights, Columbia has outscored Augusta 14-0 in the first three innings. Tyler Tolbert entered the game with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second and recorded his first hit in eight at-bats, a double that scored a pair of runs to put Columbia on the board. After a fielder's choice, Diego Hernandez dashed to second and Tolbert stole home for his 10th stolen base of the season to score the Fireflies final run of the inning. In the third, after Darryl Collins smacked a lead-off single and came around on Maikel Garcia's first triple of the season. Jake Means rolled over a ball to short to plate Garcia and push the Fireflies in front 5-0.After that, the GreenJackets' starter Alec Barger (L, 0-2) was yanked, but things didn't get much better for the Augusta pitching staff. Tolbert scored again in the sixth off of a wildpitch to push Columbia's lead to 7-2 before Means drew a walk with the bases loaded. Means wasn't finished there. In the home half of the eighth, he hit his fifth homerun of the season to push the lead to 10-2. Those five homers are tied for second-most in the Low-A East League.
MILESTONE WATCH: The Columbia Fireflies pitching staff paces the Low-A East with 288 strikeouts this season. The Charleston RiverDogs have the second most punchouts in the league this season with 274. Columbia's mark is actually good for the third-most of any team in Minor League Baseball. The Modesto Nuts have recorded the most of any of the 120 teams, with 319 this season.
KEEP THE WHEELS CHURNING: After last night's victory over the GreenJackets, the Fireflies have won eight of their last 10 games, which is the best 10-game mark for Columbia this season. Following today's game against the GreenJackets, Columbia starts a six-game set wit hthe Pelicans, who are in third place in the South Division.
MAGIC NUMBER: The offense has come in spurts for the Columbia Fireflies in 2021, but the magic number for the team is four. When the Fireflies score four runs in a game, they are 15-2 this season. When Columbia scores three or less in a game, they are 0-6.
EVERYONE WANTS TO BE APART OF A TURNAROUND: After giving up a run in two innings of relief work at Augusta May 8, it looked like righty Nathan Webb would have another season similar to his previous four years in Minor League Baseball. The Missouri-native has a 5.86 career ERA. Since then, the righty has spun nine scoreless innings and has fanned 17 batters while allowing only three hit. His opposing batting average has dropped from .231 to .150 and his season WHIP is now an incredible 0.92.
FINDING HIS STRIDE: Augusta's scheduled starter today, Spencer Strider, graduated from Clemson and is making his fourth appearance of the season. The righty hasn't allowed a run in 11.1 innings, and in his last outing Tuesday against Columbia, lasted 4.2 innings and fanned nine batters--his second most in a game this year.
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