SAL1 Columbia Fireflies

Fireflies Game Notes: July 15 vs. West Virginia (Game 91)

Published on July 15, 2019 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Columbia Fireflies News Release


Columbia Fireflies (13-11, 37-53) @ West Virginia Power (11-13, 48-46)

RHP Christian James (3-7, 4.20) vs. RHP Clay Chandler (7-5, 4.15)

Mon., July 15, 2019 - Appalachian Power Park (Charleston, WV) - First Pitch 7:05 p.m. - Game 91

LISTEN: FirefliesLiveStream.com / ColumbiaFireflies.com / TuneIn App

LAST TIME OUT: The Fireflies used masterful pitching to sweep Charleston in Sunday's doubleheader. Jose Butto led Columbia to a 2-1 victory in game one before Daison Acosta silenced the RiverDogs bats in the second tilt, a 5-0 win. Both starters, Butto (5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K) and Acosta (6 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 9 K), didn't allow a run. Butto struck out eight and Acosta set a new career-high with nine punch-outs. Shervyen Newton hit his fourth homer of the season in the second game and Mark Vientos blasted his second home run of the series in the second game as well, a laser off the batter's eye in center field.

TRENDING UP: The Fireflies have not lost a series in the month of July. In fact, Columbia has won three of the four series in July and is now 8-5.

FAST START OUT OF THE GATES: What Butto and Acosta did on Sunday followed quite the pattern for the Fireflies. Columbia's starters during the 4-2 homestand were nearly dominant. None of the six starters allowed more than three earned runs and the starters' ERA was 1.62 during the homestand.

OUT OF THIS WORLD: Mets prospect Shervyen Newton went 2-for-3 at the plate in the second game of the doubleheader on Sunday. Newton has now recorded multiple hits in seven of his last eight games. The native of Curacao is raking - Newton's hitting .485 (16-for-33) over those last eight games with three 2Bs, two HR and seven RBI.

HIM, TOO: Newton now passes teammate Hayden Senger who posted five straight multi-hit games from June 22-26. Senger is currently hitting at a Ruth'ian clip, though. The catcher is on a season-best 11-game hit streak and leads the SAL in hitting post all-star break with a .451 average (20 GP).

AND THAT'S NOT ALL: Senger has hit safely in 18 of the 20 games he's played in in the second half and reached safely in 19. The catcher was batting .180 at the all-star break (40 GP) and his average now sits at .279 - that's an astonishing near-100 point raise of his average over just 20 games.

ROARING OFFENSE: Columbia is now hitting .277 as a team since the all-star break (24 GP). That's the highest second-half batting average in the SAL:

1. Columbia, .277 ... 2. Kannapolis, .271 ... 3. Greensboro, .270

SECOND-HALF SLUGGERS: Columbia's offense has totally ignited in the second half. Here are the top hitters by batting average:

1. Hayden Senger - .451 (32-for-71), 20 GP, 7 R, 9 2B, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 4 BB, 7 K

2. Mark Vientos - .342 (27-for-79) 20 GP, 15 R, 7 2B, 4 HR, 21 RBI

3. Wagner Lagrange - .306 (26-for-85), 22 GP, 15 R, 7 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 16 RBI

Check out the Columbia Fireflies Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 15, 2019


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