Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Myrtle Beach 4.8
Published on April 8, 2026 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies continue their series with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans tonight at Segra Park at 7:05 pm. RHP Jose Gutierrez (0-0, 2.70 ERA) takes the ball for Columbia and Myrtle Beach counters with southpaw Hayden Frank (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
Tonight is a CVETS Dog Days of Summer at Segra Park. With your purchase of a lawn ticket, your dog can come to the game with you for free! Fans can also enjoy $5 White Claws while at the game. Buy your tickets now at FirefliesTickets.com.
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BULLPEN WHIFFS 11 IN 5-1 LOSS: The Fireflies bullpen generated the swing and miss, packing 11 strikeouts in six frames, but it wasn't enough, as Columbia fell to the Pelicans 5-1 in their home opener Tuesday night at Segra Park. Hyungchan Um broke the scoreless tie for the Fireflies. The backstop clobbered a solo homer to right field in the second inning to get Columbia on the board. Myrtle Beach didn't wait long to counter. Eli Lovich singled in the third and came around on a Cole Mathis sacrifice fly to tie the game. The next inning, Darwin Rodriguez (L, 0-1) walked a pair and then hit a batter to load the bases with no one out. Ludwing Espinoza hit a sacrifice fly to push the Pelicans in front 2-1. Next, Lovich ripped another single, this time to plate Michael Carico to increase Myrtle Beach's advantage to 3-1.
I'VE GOT THE POWER: Last night, Hyungchan Um smacked his first homer of the season beyond the right field fence. It was Columbia's fifth homer of the young season. Columbia leads the Carolina League in homers and is one homer behind the Ontario Tower Buzzers for the most homers as a team in Class-A. What makes the mark even more special is that four separate Fireflies have homered and Ivan Sosa leads the club with only a pair.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Last year, the Fireflies clinched their first playoff berth after finishing the first half 36-30 in order to earn a South Division title. In the first round of the playoffs, Columbia swept Myrtle Beach in a best-of-three series. In the second round of the playoffs, the Fireflies met the Lynchburg Hillcats and fell in the third game of the series, falling one game shy of the club's first championship. This year's roster features 17 returnees from the 2025 roster, including Blake Wolters and Kendry Chourio, who both started one of the three Championship Series games for the Fireflies.
SOME SERIOUS TALENT: The Fireflies have six of the Royals 30 top prospects on their Opening Day roster according to MLB Pipeline. Blake Wolters, Kendry Chourio and Michael Lombardi are the arms in the top 30 and Yandel Ricardo, Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond are the bats that are representing the list for Columbia. Wolters, Chourio and Ricardo are all returning to Columbia after spending time with the team during the 2025 season.
STRAPPING SOSA: Ivan Sosa has gotten off to a strong start to the 2026 season. The 21-year-old is 3-8 in his first three games with a double and two round-trippers. Last year, Sosa hit .240 with nine extra-base hits across 31 games in the ACL. He is the first Fireflies player to homer in back-to-back games since Josi Novas homered in consecutive games June 1-3, 2025.
REPPING THE DRAFT: The Fireflies are welcoming nine members of the 2025 draft to bolster the roster, including each of the Royals' top three selections. Sean Gamble was selected 23rd overall in the first round. Josh Hammond was selected 28th overall as a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick the Royals were granted after Bobby Witt Jr. finished in the top three of AL MVP voting in 2024. Michael Lombardi was selected 61st overall in the second round of the draft. In addition to those three, Brooks Bryan (C, 8th round), Shane Van Dam (RHP, 9th round), Max Martin (RHP, 10th round), J.C. Vanek (INF, 14th round), Connor Rasmussen (INF, 15th round) and Randy Ramnarace (RHP, 16th round) are also joining the team.
Carolina League Stories from April 8, 2026
- Comeback Hopes Dashed in Woodpeckers Loss to RiverDogs - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Jackets Blow out 'Birds on Freezing Evening - Augusta GreenJackets
- Augusta Wins Second Straight over Delmarva - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Gray Drives in Four as Charleston Takes Second Straight in Fayetteville - Charleston RiverDogs
- Late Push Sends Salem Past Wilson - Wilson Warbirds
- Howlers Shut out Nationals for First Home Win - Hill City Howlers
- FredNats Shut Out, Drop First Game of Season to Hill City - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes vs Myrtle Beach 4.8 - Columbia Fireflies
- Ballers Shut out Crawdads with All-Around Effort in Wednesday's Contest - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- RidgeYaks Blast Warbirds in 10-2 Win - Salem RidgeYaks
- Pelicans Shake up Fireflies, Secure Series Opener 5-1 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Crawdads in Town April 14-19 - Hickory Crawdads
- Woodpeckers Fall to RiverDogs on Feast Or Famine Night - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
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