Fireflies Drop Pitcher’s Duel 2-1 to Mudcats
COLUMBIA, SC – The Fireflies tied the game in the eighth inning thanks to a Daniel Vazquez RBI single, but Carolina immediately answered, as Columbia lost 2-1 in Zebulon at Five County Stadium Thursday night. The Fireflies tied the game in the eighth. Dionmy Salon was hit by a pitch
COLUMBIA, SC – The Fireflies tied the game in the eighth inning thanks to a Daniel Vazquez RBI single, but Carolina immediately answered, as Columbia lost 2-1 in Zebulon at Five County Stadium Thursday night.
The Fireflies tied the game in the eighth. Dionmy Salon was hit by a pitch to lead things off and then Wilmin Candelario came in as a pinch runner for Columbia. Omar Florentino slapped a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher to move Candelario to third following a wild pitch and Candelario motored around to tie the game on a Daniel Vazquez single.
The lead didn’t last long though. Tayden Hall knocked a one out double off Wesley Scott (L, 2-2) with one out in the bottom of the eighth and then Jace Avina plated him with a double less than an inning after entering the game as a defensive replacement. The 2-1 lead held for Yujanyer Herrera (W, 4-4) who spun four innings in relief for Yorman Galindez. In Galindez’s first start in the Carolina League he worked five scoreless frames.
Shane Panzini spun his third quality start of the season, allowing just one run to score and punching out eight across six innings. The New Jersey native has wrung up 98 hitters this season, matching Adrian Alcantara’s total in 2021 as the most for a Fireflies’ pitcher in a single season since 2019.
Carolina jumped on top in the home half of the first. Dylan O’Rae sliced a double down the left field line and scored on a hit-and-run bloop single from Tayden Hall that broke the scoreless tie with one out in the game.
Trevor Werner advanced his hitting streak to eight games with a single up the middle to lead-off the fifth inning. Werner is 7-11 in the series with three homers, a double and five RBI (5-7, 3 HR, 2B entering the day).
Columbia continues their series with the Carolina Mudcats tomorrow night at Five County Stadium at 7 pm. RHP Emmanuel Reyes (0-4, 4.95 ERA) takes the hill for Columbia and Carolina counters RHP Patricio Aquino (4-3, 3.11 ERA).
The Fireflies will come home for one last homestand at Segra Park in 2023 as they face the Delmarva Shorebirds August 29-September 3. We’ll host Retro Video Game Night, a Budweiser Thirsty Thursday and will wrap up the season with a Sunday Funday. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.