Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes 6.13 at Fayetteville
June 13, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Kansas City Royals have made the following roster moves affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster.
C Enmanuel Pire has been placed on the ACL Royals Roster C Hayden Dunhurst has been added to the Fireflies active roster
Dunhurst will wear jersey #8.
The Fireflies have 27 players on their active roster.
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The Fireflies kick-off a series with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers tonight at 7:05 pm at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, North Carolina. RHP Steve Zobac (1-0, 1.82 ERA) gets the nod for Columbia and Salem counters with RHP Alimber Santa (1-4, 5.95 ERA).
The Fireflies will return home to Segra Park June 20 and they'll stay home through July 3 as the Fireflies battle the Fredericksburg Nationals and the Augusta GreenJackets. The homestand will house our Negro League Celebration Weekend where the Fireflies become the Newark Eagles and will play the Chattanooga Choo-Choos and will conclude with our Independence Day Celebration with a massive fireworks show. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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VELIZ LEADS WAY IN 4-2 WIN: The Fireflies utilized a strong start from the bats and Mauricio Veliz as they took home the finale against the Salem Red Sox 4-2 Sunday evening at Segra Park. Mauricio Veliz turned in the best start of his season so far, the righty worked a season-high five innings with a season-high eight punchouts while only allowing a single hit and one, unearned run to score. The bullpen had a solid game too. Marcus Olivares started things off with two scoreless frames. He induced two double plays to keep the Red Sox off the board. Then Chazz Martinez (S, 1) entered the game in the eighth, allowing one run, but locking down the Red Sox 1-2-3 in the ninth with a pair of strikeouts as he earned his first save of the season.
ZANY ZOBAC: The Fireflies righty is on another strong stretch as he has allowed only one earned run in his last three outings, spanning 12.2 innings. Zobac set a career-high, spinning 4.2 innings Tuesday in a 7-1 win over the Salem Red Sox to set the tone for the last full homestand of the first half for Columbia. Zobac now has a 1.82 ERA across his first nine outings and he has punched out 36 hitters in 29.2 innings.
PINNACLE PITCHERS: The Fireflies arms have been hot this year. After allowing only a single earned run across their last 27 innings, the Fireflies pitching staff now has the best-ERA of all 120 teams in Minor League Baseball, a 3.04 mark that has unseated the Down East Wood Ducks and Tulsa Drillers, both of whom have previously paced the pack. The Fireflies have had had a top-5 team ERA all season long, but really pushed over the top this last weekend where David Sandlin and Mauricio Veliz didn't allow an earned run to score in 12 innings to pace the club.
SUPER SANDLIN: David Sandlin has been on a roll his last few outings. He has worked back-to-back quality starts and has allowed three runs in his last 13 innings (2.08 ERA). During that stretch, Sandlin also has 19 punchouts, which has allowed him to climb back to the top of the League's strikeout leaderboard. The Fireflies are also 8-3 in his 11 starts this season. He added another feather to his cap Monday when he earned his first Carolina League Pitcher of the Week Award after his seven scoreless innings of work Friday.
BULKING UP THE BATS: The Fireflies bats have had some trouble at the plate this season, as they've gone back-and-forth with Augusta for the worst batting average in the Carolina League, but today Columbia added catcher Hayden Dunhurst to their roster to help move that average in the right direction.
WILY WALLACE: Last night, Chase Wallace gave up his first run of the season. Columbia's reliever has been on fire across his first five outings this year though, maintaining a 1.35 ERA in 6.2 innings while fanning six opposing hitters.
THE ROAD IS LONG: After Columbia's loss to the Salem Red Sox Wednesdsay, the team fell out of first place for the first time in 33 games--the longest stretch the Fireflies have been in possession of first place in franchise history. The last time the Fireflies weren't in first place was April 29.
THE SCOOP: Entering Tuesday's slate of games, the Fireflies trail the Myrtle Beach Pelicans by two games. This week, the Fireflies head to Fayetteville to play the 24-32 Woodpeckers and Myrtle Beach has a tilt at home vs Fredericksburg.
Carolina League Stories from June 13, 2023
- Woodpeckers Drop Marathon 12-Inning Game in Return Home - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Fireflies Win 4-3 in 12 Innings - Columbia Fireflies
- Birds Drop Opener to Nationals 6-4 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Mudcats Allow Four Solo Homers in 4-3 Loss - Carolina Mudcats
- RiverDogs Fall to Lynchburg in Series-Opening Slugfest - Charleston RiverDogs
- FredNats Take Down Pelicans 6-4 - Fredericksburg Nationals
- GreenJackets Record Historic Victory in Tuesday Night Opener - Augusta GreenJackets
- Hillcats Topple RiverDogs 7-5 - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Augusta GreenJackets Announce Return of Miracle League/RECing Crew Buddy Game at SRP Park this Saturday - Augusta GreenJackets
- GreenJackets Blow Ninth Inning Lead for First Time this Season as Pelicans Take Five of Six - Augusta GreenJackets
- Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes 6.13 at Fayetteville - Columbia Fireflies
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