No Earned Runs Score in Opening Day Duel
AUGUSTA, SC – The Fireflies pitching staff was up to the task on Opening Night. The club didn’t allow an earned run and fanned 14 Augusta GreenJackets hitters in a 2-1 loss at SRP Park Friday evening. Mauricio Veliz started the game off fanning the first six hitters he saw.
AUGUSTA, SC – The Fireflies pitching staff was up to the task on Opening Night. The club didn’t allow an earned run and fanned 14 Augusta GreenJackets hitters in a 2-1 loss at SRP Park Friday evening.
Mauricio Veliz started the game off fanning the first six hitters he saw. He ceded a run in the third inning after allowing a double to start the inning then issuing three-consecutive one out walks. He got out of the inning after Diego Benitez rolled over a pitch, grounding into a 4-3 double play.
The righty left the ball game with nine punchouts across five innings. He allowed two unearned runs off three hits before leaving the game to the bullpen.
Jacob Widener started right where Veliz left off, fanning five and allowing a single hit in two frames before Connor Fenlong closed out the game without allowing a run in the eighth.
After Garrett Baumann started the game with four one-run innings, Adam Shoemaker (W, 1-0) kept the Fireflies off the board for four more frames to earn the win. Next, Giomar Diaz (S, 1) stranded the tying run at first to earn his first save of the new season.
Leiker Figueroa put the GreenJackets in front again in the fifth inning, singling to third and advancing to second on a throwing error from Austin Charles. He moved to third after a fly out and advanced home on a fly out and then a fielding error from Fireflies catcher Blake Mitchell to vault the GreenJackets to a 2-1 lead prior to the sixth inning.
A little hustle went a long way in the fourth frame. After Erick Pena reached safely on an error from Augusta first baseman Drew Compton, he scored from second on a Jhonny Perdomo sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game.
The Fireflies continue their series with the GreenJackets tomorrow evening at SRP Park at 6:05 pm. RHP Emmanuel Reyes takes the hill for Columbia and Augusta counters with RHP Adam Maier.
The Fireflies 2024 season begins Tuesday, April 9 against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans at 7:05 pm. Tickets for the season are on sale now. Go to ColumbiaFireflies.com for more information about promotions and ticket pricing for this summer.