Fireflies Blast Past Mudcats 9-0
COLUMBIA, SC – The Fireflies fired on all cylinders, tallying 17 hits and three homers in their 12th shutout of the season and their first since July 22 as they beat the Carolina Mudcats 9-0. Columbia started the scoring with a thump in the first inning. Spencer Nivens and Brett
COLUMBIA, SC – The Fireflies fired on all cylinders, tallying 17 hits and three homers in their 12th shutout of the season and their first since July 22 as they beat the Carolina Mudcats 9-0.
Columbia started the scoring with a thump in the first inning. Spencer Nivens and Brett Squires set the table with back-to-back two outs singles. Next, Austin Charles started the scoring with a flair single to bring Nivens home before Trevor Werner cleared the bases with his fourth homer of the series. The Fireflies brought a 4-0 lead to the bottom of the first.
In the fifth inning, the Fireflies bats came back out to play. Carson Roccaforte singled to move his on-base streak to 16 games and then stole a pair of bases before coming around on a throwing error from catcher Blayberg Diaz. Next, Brett Squires smoked his 12th homer of the season beyond the left field wall to bring Columbia’s lead to 6-0.
After an Austin Charles base knock, Trevor Werner smashed a ball to right field for his fifth homer of the week. Werner tallied two multi-homer games against the Mudcats, one Wednesday and one Sunday.
Werner improved his hitting streak to 11 games. The righty has five homers and 18 RBI during the stretch. Squires finished a double shy of the cycle in a 3-5 and Charles finished 4-5 with four hits, becoming the fourth Fireflies player to notch four hits this season.
If the bats weren’t enough for Columbia, Mauricio Veliz (W, 5-6) turned in another fantastic start. Veliz tallied seven frames for a second time this season, allowing five hits and keeping the Mudcats off the scoreboard before he handed the ball to the bullpen. Veliz has allowed one run in 14 innings across two starts vs the Mudcats this season.
Elvis Novas pushed through a scoreless eighth inning and Jacob Widener spun the ninth for the Fireflies as they completed their 12th shutout of the season.
Following the off day, the Fireflies head home to start a six-game set with the Delmarva Shorebirds. Both teams have yet to name their starters.
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.