Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Fredericksburg 8.25
August 25, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies close out their series with the Fredericksburg Nationals tonight at Segra Park at 5:05 pm. RHP Logan Martin (3-3, 4.02 ERA) takes the ball for Columbia and Fredericksburg counters with RHP Travis Sykora (3-3, 2.51 ERA).
Tonight is Women in Sports Night at Segra Park, where we're honoring all the women who work in and have impacted sports for all of us in the Midlands. It's also a Kids Sunday Funday where we'll have a pre-game autograph session and post-game Kids run the bases thanks to Bang Back Pinball Lounge.
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FIREFLIES PITCHING STAFF NOTCHES 7th SHUTOUT OF 24: The Fireflies rode a hot start from Hiro Wyatt and four shutout innings from the bullpen to a 4-0 win over the Fredericksburg Nationals at Segra Park Saturday night. The win was their seventh shutout of the 2024 season. The Fireflies wasted no time leaving their mark on the scoreboard. Blake Mitchell worked a walk to reach base and Daniel Vazquez singled. Then Austin Charles deposited a ball into the seats in left field for a three-run home run. The blast increased the third baseman's team-leading RBI total to 57. Columbia added another run in the fourth inning. With two outs, Daniel Vazquez recorded his second hit of the game. Derlin Figueroa followed with a hard-hit ball to the gap, plating Vasquez all the way from first base.
BULLPEN MANIA: The Fireflies bullpen has been the highlight of the team all season. After working four scoreless innings last night, Columbia's bullpen leads all of Minor League Baseball with a 3.02 ERA over 495.2 innings. The club's bullpen record is 42-18 with 32 saves on the season. The pen has also punched out 531 opponents this season while holding opposing teams to a .219 average.
MISSING MICHEL: Ismael Michel has stepped up in a big way over the last month for Columbia. The righty hasn't allowed a run in his last nine outings (15.1 IP) which has pushed his ERA down from 3.27 on July 21 to 1.42 today,. On the run he is 4-0 with 16 strikeouts in 15.1 innings pitched in relief for Columbia.
THIS IS 55: Saturday, Austin Charles drove in three RBI, giving him 57 on the young season. In 2023 only one Fireflies hitter finished the season with 55 or more RBI: Brett Squires, who had 69 RBI. The Fireflies single-season RBI record belongs to Juan Carlos Negret, who drove in 76 runs in a shortened 2021 season thanks in part to a franchise record 23 homers in a single season.
THE RACE INTENSIFIES: Saturday, Columbia beat Fredericksburg 4-0 and Charleston lost 4-1 for the Fireflies to make-up a game on first place. Columbia currently sits 3.0 games behind Charleston and 2.5 games in front of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in second in the division. As Kannapolis continues their second-half slide after their first-half division crown, the Fireflies have the best record in the South Division for the entire season. Columbia has the best overall record in the division by 1.5 games.
AWESOME ARRONDE: Thursday, Felix Arronde struck out five over a handful of innings as he got the loss vs Fredericksburg. The righty leads the Fireflies with 97 punchouts on the season. His 97 strikeouts are tied for the third-most in a single-season for the Fireflies since 2020 with Luinder Avila, who punched out 97 in 2022. Both Adrian Alcantara (2021) and Shane Panzini (2023) are tied with 98 strikeouts for the most in a single year since the schedule was shortened to 132 games.
MITCHELL'S MISSILES: Tuesday, Blake Mitchell blasted his Carolina League leading 18th homer of the season. Mitchell is the first Fireflies player to lead the league in homers since Juan Carlos Negret slapped 23 homers in a pandemic-shortened 2021 season. Mitchell is just one round-tripper shy of Ariel Almonte, who plays for the Daytona Tortugas, for the most round trippers in Single-A in 2024.
Carolina League Stories from August 25, 2024
- Series Slips Away in Sunday Loss to Kannapolis - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Nats Battle Back to Topple Columbia in 10 Innings - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Columbia Loses Back-And-Forth Finale at Segra Park - Columbia Fireflies
- Red-Hot Smith Pushes Pelicans to Series-Closing 5-2 Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- Cam Smith's Home Run Streak Extends to Six, Pelicans Beat RiverDogs 5-2 in Finale - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Shorebirds Hold off Wood Ducks to Win Series Finale - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Big Inning Lifts Mudcats to Series Win over Augusta - Carolina Mudcats
- Shorebirds Top Wood Ducks in Series Finale - Down East Wood Ducks
- Big Sixth Inning Carries Mudcats over GreenJackets - Augusta GreenJackets
- Sox Blanked by Hillcats in 3-0 Loss - Salem Red Sox
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Fredericksburg 8.25 - Columbia Fireflies
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