Columbia Fireflies Game Notes September 3 at Carolina
September 3, 2022 – Carolina League (CarL) – Columbia Fireflies News Release
The Fireflies kick-off their weekend at Five County Stadium with a contest vs the Carolina Mudcats at 5 pm. RHP Shane Panzini (0-3, 4.42 ERA) takes the ball for Columbia and Carolina counters with RHP Cameron Wagoner (2-0, 2.45 ERA).
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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FIREFLIES SCORE 14 UNANSWERED TO ROUT CAROLINA 17-8: The Columbia Fireflies scored 14 unanswered runs after the sixth inning to erase an early five-run deficit as they beat the Carolina Mudcats 17-8 at Five County Stadium Friday night. The Fireflies took the lead in the seventh and never looked back. After Carter Jensen and Gavin Cross singled to start the frame, Cayden Wallace roped a double off the center field wall, scoring the pair and pushing Columbia in front for the first time, 8-7. Wallace came around on a bases loaded walk with two outs to head to the stretch up 9-7. he Fireflies then scored eight runs in the eighth, chasing a position player onto the mound for Carolina. Columbia drew four walks and added seven hits during the inning to assume a 17-7 lead.
JUMP-STARTING JENSEN: Carter Jensen has reached base safely in 21-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 32-consecutive games. Not far behind Jensen is centerfielder Gavin Cross, who has now reached safely in 18-straight contests.
OMAR HERNANDEZ, RBI MACHINE: The Fireflies backstop has had at least one RBI in five consecutive contests, which is the second-longest active streak in Class-A ball, the longest streak in the Carolina League. The six RBI Hernandez has had on the stretch has put him at 30 RBI this season, which is a career-high in his three seasons in professional baseball. Hernandez has had an incredible season of growth in his second season with Columbia, increasing his average 51 points while playing in 82 games compared to 69 last season.
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 25-23 record (.521) and are 2.5 games back of first place. Columbia’s elimination number is 7 with 8 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.
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 adding five, one-run innings to his resume Wednesday at Carolina, Frank Mozzicato has put together an impressive last three outings, spinning 20 innings while allowing only three earned runs (1.35 ERA). During the stretch, the Connecticut native has punched out 28 batters (12.6 K/9 IP).
THE SITUATION: The Fireflies face the first-place Charleston RiverDogs in a six-game series at Segra Park Tuesday-Sunday. As it stands, Columbia would have to win five of those six games to punch their ticket to the 2022 Carolina League Playoffs.
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