Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes 6.26
June 26, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Kansas City Royals have made the following roster moves affecting the Columbia Fireflies' active roster:
* SS Daniel Vazquez has been placed on the 7-day Injured List retroactive to June 24
There are no corresponding moves. The Fireflies active roster now sits at 29. Updated roster attached.
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The Fireflies continue their series with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers tonight at Atrium Health Ballpark at 7 pm. RHP Logan Martin (1-1, 3.12 ERA) takes the ball for Columbia and Kannapolis counter with RHP Jake Peppers (3-4, 3.60 ERA).
The Fireflies return home for a three-game series to celebrate our Nation's Independence Day to kick-off July. Join us for Military Appreciation Night July 2, our Independence Day Celebration July 3 and Fireworks with the Philharmonic presented by Prisma Health July 4. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.
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CHARLES LEADS CHARGE WITH FOUR-HIT NIGHT: Elvis Novas came into a bases loaded scenario and stranded runners on the basepaths to earn his first save of 2024 and to give Columbia a 7-5 win Tuesday night over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Segra Park. Austin Charles led the way offensively, going 4-4 with a triple and two doubles while scoring a pair of runs and driving in two additional runners for Columbia in the close victory. Charles is the second Fireflies player to finish a hit shy of the team's first cycle in the month of June. Columbia (2-2) jumped ahead in the top of the third inning. Blake Mitchell got the inning rolling as he laced a double down the left field line. Then, with two outs, Austin Charles legged out a triple to score Mitchell and give Columbia a 2-1 lead. Next, Hyungchan Um punched a single up the middle to score Charles. Erick Pena closed out the inning by pulling a two-run homer to right field. It was the outfielder's eighth homer of the season and it put Columbia in front 5-1.
THE QUATTRO: Last night, Austin Charles became the second Fireflies player to notch a four-hit game this season, joining Daniel Vazquez, who accomplished the feat April 7. It's the second time in his career that Charles has had a four-hit game. The righty finished a homer shy of the cycle, joining Erick Pena as the second Fireflies player who finished one-hit shy of the club's first cycle this month. Pena finished a single shy of the cycle in Myrtle Beach two weeks ago.
GOING STREAKING: Catcher Dionmy Salon is riding a hot streak for Columbia. He is on his longest hitting streak of the season, a seven-game stretch that began June 9 and is tied for the fifth-longest active hitting streak in the Carolina League. Salon is 8-21 (.381) on the run and has three RBI. Another Fireflies player who's been an on-base machine in June has been Blake Mitchell. Mitchell kicked-off a 17-game on-base streak June 1. It's the fourth-longest on-base streak in the Carolina League, trailing Carolina's Cooper Pratt (31 games), Augusta's Will Verdung (21 games) and Charleston's Carlos Colmenarez (18 games). Over Mitchell's 17 games, he's hitting .236, but has drawn 17 walks to increase his on-base percentage to .427 in June.
QUALITY FELIX: Sunday, Felix Arronde worked his team-leading fourth quality start of the season. He's one ahead of Ethan Bosacker for the most on the Fireflies. So far this season, Arronde has a 4-5 record to pair with a 3.71 ERA. He's been able to persevere despite receiving the lowest run support of any regular Fireflies starter this year. The bats are scoring 2.39 runs per nine innings when Arronde is on the hill in 2024.
ROCKING WITH REYES: After a difficult April, where Emmanuel Reyes recorded a 6.04 ERA in 25.1 innings across five starts, the righty has shut down his opponents. Emmanuel Reyes hasn't been scoreless, but he has been an innings eater in June, working 15 frames to the tune of a 2-0 record and a 1.80 ERA. Both Reyes and Martin have been fantastic since the Calendar turned to May. Reyes has spun 36 innings to the tune of a 2.25 ERA and not to be outdone, the former Kentucky Wildcat, Logan Martin has a zany 1.69 ERA across his last 32 innings.
KICKING WITH KIRKLAND: In Doug Kirkland's last six outings, he has allowed just one earned run spanning 11.2 innings of work (0.77 ERA). In that time, he has 16 punchouts and his opponents are hitting .148 against him. In his first full professional season, Kirkland is 3-3 with a 2.92 ERA. He has an outlandish 36 strikeouts in 24.2 innings and opponents are hitting just .183 against him this season.
Carolina League Stories from June 26, 2024
- Bats Add Four in the First in 7-2 Win - Columbia Fireflies
- Another Quality Start from Nezuh Leads Woodpeckers to Third Straight Victory - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Rally Comes up Short, Pelicans Lose to Woodpeckers 4-3 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- RiverDogs Resilient in 9-6 Win Over Augusta - Charleston RiverDogs
- Walks Prove Insurmountable in 9-6 Loss - Augusta GreenJackets
- Colmenares Plates Two in Comeback Victory - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Wednesday's Game Between Delmarva and Down East Suspended - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes 6.26 - Columbia Fireflies
- Lynchburg Levels Series with Mudcats - Carolina Mudcats
- USA Baseball Announces Collegiate National Team Training Camp Roster - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
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