Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes at Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Published on July 16, 2021 under Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Kansas City Royals have made the following roster move affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster:
INF Brady McConnell has been placed on the 7-day injured list
INF Austin Dennis has been added to the Columbia Fireflies active roster from the ACL
INF Saul Garza has been added to the Columbia Fireflies active roster from the ACL
Austin Dennis will wear jersey #8. Saul Garza will wear jersey #38.
The Fireflies roster now stands at 26 with four on the injured list.
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The Columbia Fireflies continue their series with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans tonight at 7:05 pm at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans stadium. RHP Adrian Alcantara (3-4, 4.12 ERA) gets the nod for the Fireflies and LHP Didier Vargas (3-2, 4.75 ERA) will go for the Pelicans.
Columbia returns home Tuesday, July 20 to open up a seven-game set against the Augusta GreenJackets. The Fireflies will be celebrating Frontline Workers Appreciation Night, brought to you by T-Mobile, Princess Knight, presented by Lowes Foods and will have a t-shirt giveaway during the series. To purchase tickets for the event, visit FirefliesTickets.com.
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FIREFLIES BATS STUNNED IN 5-0 LOSS TO PELICANS: The Columbia Fireflies bats were silenced by the Pelicans pitching staff in a 5-0 loss Thursday night at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. The game marked Columbia's (30-29) second consecutive loss after they stole the series opener from Myrtle Beach (28-34). Myrtle Beach started the scoring early. Fireflies starter Rylan Kaufman (L, 1-3) threw an errant pick-off to first to allow Ezequiel Pagan to scamper around the basepath to tally the first run of the game. In the next inning, Jordan Nwogu hit his fifth homer of the season to make the score 2-0. Columbia had a pair of hits in this one, both singles, one from Kale Emshoff and the other from Felix Familia. It marked the eighth time this season Columbia has been shut out.
NEW NAMES ON THE CARD: Today, the Kansas City Royals made a handful of moves affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster. The Fireflies recieved two infielders, Saul Garza and Austin Dennis from the Arizona Complex League. Both hitters were averaging above .300 in less than 10 games in rookie-level ball. Finally, infielder Brady McConnell has been placed on the injured list putting the active roster at 27 players, with four on the injured list.
SAVE-ORING HIS RETURN: Last night, reliever Ismael Aquino made his first appearance in a Fireflies uniform since May 29. He was activated off the injured list last week following a stint in rehab in the ACL where he pitched in three games, allowing six runs in 3.1 innings. The righty has converted both of his save opportunities with Columbia after working a 1-2-3 ninth inning last night. He has fanned nine batters in 7.2 innings across six games while in the Low-A East League.
REELING WITH RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION: This season the Columbia Fireflies are hitting .204 with runners in scoring position, a mark that is last in the division. That wasn't helped much through the last homestand, where the team finished 11-71 (.155) with runners threatening. They got five of those 11 hits in Thursdays 20-run offensive onslaught with 16 opportunities.
WILLIS RESURGENCE: After lefty Marlin Willis had a rough May, where the reliever had a 8.31 ERA across six outings, he has found his way for the Fireflies. In Willis's last five outings he has spun 10 innings, punching out 18 batters while only allowing a single run. A big part of what Willis has done well in the last few weeks has been decreasing his walk rate as the season has progressed. In his first eight innings, of the season, he walked 13 batters and hit another pair, but in his last 7.1 innings, he has walked only three batters while striking out 16. Opponents are averaging .080 against Willis in that time.
WEBB GEM ON THE BUMP: Nathan Webb dominated out of the pen Friday. The righty grinded through 3.1 innings where he inherited six runners. Three came from Luis De Avila, who left the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth, and three more from the runner placed on second in each of the 10th, 11th and 12th innings. Webb pulled a Houdini act, keeping each of those runners from scoring and giving the Fireflies bats a chance to win the game in front of the fans at Segra Park.
Carolina League Stories from July 16, 2021
- Timely Hitting from Fayetteville Leads to Salem Loss - Salem Red Sox
- Nwogu's Walk-Off Bunt Wins It for the Pelicans - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Wiemer and Martinez Power Mudcats to Fourth Straight Win - Carolina Mudcats
- Largest Crowd of Season Watches RiverDogs Knock off GreenJackets 3-1 - Charleston RiverDogs
- 'Birds Comeback Falls Short in Loss to Wood Ducks - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Collard Greens Escape with Win over Delmarva - Down East Wood Ducks
- Columbia Falls in Extras in Back-And-Forth Contest - Columbia Fireflies
- FredNats Felled by Two-Out Hitting in 6-2 Loss - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes at Myrtle Beach Pelicans - Columbia Fireflies
- RiverDogs to Host Free Clinic Sunday - Charleston RiverDogs
- Down East Wood Ducks Game Notes - vs. Delmarva - Down East Wood Ducks
- Early Runs Lead Woodpeckers in 10-4 Win over Red Sox - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
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