Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes August 31
August 31, 2022 - Carolina League (CarL)
Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Kansas City Royals have made the following roster moves affecting the Columbia Fireflies active roster:
RHP Mason Barnett has been added to the Fireflies active roster
OF Levi Usher has been added to the Fireflies active roster
OF Gary Camarillo has been placed on the development list
Usher will wear jersey #45. Barnett will wear jersey #39.
The Fireflies active roster now sits at 30 with two on the development list and one on the injured list.
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The Fireflies continue their series with the Carolina Mudcats tonight at Five County Stadium at 7 pm. LHP Frank Mozzicato (1-6, 4.41 ERA) gets the nod for Columbia and RHP Edwin Jimenez (4-6, 4.56 ERA) counters for Carolina.
The Fireflies return to Segra Park for their final homestand of the season September 6-11 to face the Charleston RiverDogs as they fight for their first playoff berth in franchise history. Join the Fireflies for the final fireworks show of the year, a t-shirt giveaway and Wands and Wizards night to close out the regular season! Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.
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BATS BOOST FIREFLIES TO 9-0 WIN: Early offense and a stellar start from Jonatan Bernal led the Fireflies to a 9-0 win over the Carolina Mudcats Tuesday evening at Five County Stadium. Columbia's offense started going early. Javier Vaz opened up the game with a double and came around on a wild pitch to break the scoreless tie. Next, Cayden Wallace singled to left to score Gavin Cross to double the Fireflies lead. To close out the frame, Carter Jensen and Wallace worked a double steal to increase Columbia's lead to 3-0. In the top of the fourth inning, with Gary Camarillo, Javier Vaz and Omar Hernandez on the basepaths, Cross launched a 430-foot grand slam 103 MPH off his bat. The Virginia Tech product's fifth homer of the season was Columbia's first grand slam since Kale Emshoff and Tyler Tolbert both had grand slams in a game against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers August 11, 2021. The knock put Columbia in front 8-0.
FARMING GOOSE EGGS: The Fireflies have spun back-to-back shutouts for the first time in franchise history. Funny enough, the shutouts come after a drought of 366 days without a shutout from the pitching staff. Tuesday, it was Jonatan Bernal and John McMillon who closed out a 9-0 win over Carolina. Sunday, the Fireflies used four arms starting with Luinder Avila and finishing with Brandon Johnson to win 2-0 over Salem.
JUMP-STARTING JENSEN: Carter Jensen has reached base safely in 18-consecutive games, which is the second-longest on-base streak for Columbia this season and the third-longest active on-base streak in the Carolina League. Eddison Paulino paces the pack as he has reached safely in 30-consecutive games. Jensen has also walked in nine consecutive games. The backstop has drawn 17 walks over the stretch.
SECOND-HALF FIREFLIES?: After trudging to the finish line of the first-half of the season with a Carolina League-worst 18-48 record, the Fireflies burst onto the scene in the second-half, sweeping Augusta after taking two of the first three games with the RiverDogs to begin the second slate 8-1. Since then, the Fireflies have a 23-22 record (.511) and are 3.0 games back of first place. Columbia's elimination number is 10 with 12 games remaining. Columbia has now won four series this season, and all four series (at Augusta June 28-July 3, at Myrtle Beach August 9-14, vs Kannapolis August 16-21 and vs Salem August 23-28) have come in the second half.
SWING AND A MISS: Lefty Marlin Willis fanned four hitters in the eighth inning last Thursday. It was the first time a pitcher has struckout four batters in one inning while wearing a Fireflies uniform. Willis has been on a tear in the second half of the season, punching out 26 hitters in 14.1 innings to spin a 1.88 ERA in 10 games.
100 CLUB: Last Sunday, Luinder Avila became the first pitcher since 2019 to spin 100 innings in a single campaign. Last season, Adrian Alcantara was the closest, as he worked 97.1 innings. In 2019, Willy Taveras, Christian James and Jose Butto all spun at least 100 innings for the Fireflies.
SOUTHPAW SIZZLES: After spinning his first quality start Wednesday night vs Salem, Frank Mozzicato has put together an impressive last three outings, spinning 15 innings while allowing only two earned runs (1.20 ERA). During the stretch, the Connecticut native has punched out 20 batters (12 K/9 IP).
Carolina League Stories from August 31, 2022
- RiverDogs and Pelicans Split Twin Bill to Start Series - Charleston RiverDogs
- FredNats Erase 8-0 Deficit to Beat Shorebirds - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Offense Stifled Again in 7-1 Loss to Fireflies - Carolina Mudcats
- Three-Hit Night Beavers Not Enough as 'Birds Unable to Contain FredNats' Comeback - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Red Sox Stun GreenJackets with Two Outs in Ninth Inning - Augusta GreenJackets
- Hillcats Drop Game to Cannon Ballers - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Late Offense Sparks 7-1 Win Over Mudcats - Columbia Fireflies
- Columbia Fireflies Roster Moves and Game Notes August 31 - Columbia Fireflies
- Nine Run Fifth Lifts Ducks - Down East Wood Ducks
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