Fireflies’ offense struggles again in loss to Asheville
Columbia Fireflies manager Jose Leger is keeping a positive attitude despite his team’s recent hitting woes.
The Fireflies suffered their third shutout in the past six games following a 2-0 loss to Asheville in 11 innings on Tuesday at Spirit Communications Park.
Columbia, which managed three hits in Monday’s win over Asheville, had four on Tuesday against three Tourists pitchers. The Fireflies’ batting average has dropped to .216, second worst in the South Atlantic League.
Columbia has scored more than four runs once in its past eight games and is 3-4 during that span.
“We have just fallen into a funk,” Columbia manager Jose Leger said. “The lack of hits is something to be concerned about it. But it is expected though. Guys in this league and this level are learning the strike zone and trying to find their rhythm at the plate. But as a coach, I am trying to keep it positive because it is going to turn around.”
When the Fireflies have gotten runners on, they haven’t been able to convert. They had chances to score in the second and fourth innings. In the second, Dash Winningham led off with a single. With one out, Tim Tebow doubled off the left-field wall to put runners on second and third.
But Asheville starting pitcher Alejandro Requena struck out Desmond Lindsay and Brandon Brosher to end the inning.
In the fourth, Winningham walked with one out and Gamache followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Tebow reached on an error, but Winningham was caught in a rundown at the plate. Then, Gamache was thrown out trying to advance to third.
“We should have taken advantage of their mistake and had the bases loaded,” Leger said. “It’s one of those base running mistakes that come back and haunt you.”
Tebow, who started in left field, finished 1-for-4 and picked up his first outfield assist when he threw out Jose Gomez trying to stretch a single into a double in the sixth.
“Tim was alert and he knew that guy was fast,” Leger said. “It was good to see him in that alert mode.”
The Fireflies will finish their seven-game homestand on Wednesday against Asheville at 11:05 a.m.
Asheville | ab | r | h | rbi | bb | k |
Melendez cf | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gomez 2b | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Welker 3b | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Diaz c | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Nevin 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Snyder ss | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Abreu rf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bosiokovic lf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
George dh | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
TOTALS | 37 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Columbia | ab | r | h | rbi | bb | k |
Cone rf | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Carpio 2b | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tiberi dh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Winningham 1b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Gamache 3b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Paez pr-ss | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tebow lf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Lindsay cf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Brosher c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Ramos ss-3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
TOTALS | 35 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 12 |
Asheville | 000 | 000 | 000 | 02 | — | 2 |
Columbia | 000 | 000 | 000 | 00 | — | 0 |
E — Requena, Welker. LOB — Asheville 5, Columbia 5. 2B — Diaz, Welker, Bosiokovic, Tebow. CS — Gomez, Bosiokovic. OA — Tebow.
Asheville | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
Requena | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
Hammer, W 3-0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Lawrence, S 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Columbia | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
Llanes | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Huertas, L 0-1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
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WP — Llanes, Huertas 2. HBP — Bosiokovic (by Llanes); Brosher (by Requena). Umpires — HP: Emil Jimenez. 1B: Mike Snover. T — 2:28. A — 3,855.
This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Fireflies’ offense struggles again in loss to Asheville."