Bats Can’t Support Strong Pitching Performance

Fireflies held scoreless for seventh time this season

By John Kocsis JR.

June 30, 2021

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Columbia Fireflies bats were held in check as the GreenJackets cruised to a 1-0 victory over Columbia at SRP Park Wednesday evening. Wednesday marked the seventh time Columbia (25-21) has been shut out in 2021. It’s also the third time Columbia has found themselves on the

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Columbia Fireflies bats were held in check as the GreenJackets cruised to a 1-0 victory over Columbia at SRP Park Wednesday evening.

Wednesday marked the seventh time Columbia (25-21) has been shut out in 2021. It’s also the third time Columbia has found themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 ball game.

After Cruz Noriega turned in five scoreless frames, Patrick Smith (L, 2-2) found himself in a bit of trouble in the home half of the sixth. The lefty put runners on the corners with nobody out, before Matt Schmidt tossed Cade Bunnell out at home on a fielder’s choice for the first out of the inning. Willie Carter was then hit to load the bases for Augusta (22-27) to set up Landon Stephens to hit a sacrifice fly to score the first run of the ball game.

GreenJackets starter Tanner Gordon (W, 2-4) punched out a career-high 10 Fireflies batters in 5.2 innings while allowing only three runners to reach the base paths. After that, Lisandro Santos and Estarlin Rodriguez (S, 1) closed out the game without allowing a run in the final three frames.

Columbia continues their series with the GreenJackets at SRP Park tomorrow evening at 7:05 pm. RHP Matt Stil (2-1, 6.46 ERA) gets the call for the Fireflies while Augusta’s righty, Jared Johnson (0-2, 4.66 ERA) toes the rubber for the home team.

The Fireflies will return home July 6 to start a six-game set with the division-leading Charleston RiverDogs. Tuesday’s game will mark another Miller Lite $2 Tuesday where all hot dogs, popcorn, fountain sodas and 12 oz cans of Miller Lite will be just $2.