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Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Suns Wooten drives in 4 to drop I's in extras

July 24, 2014 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


HAGERSTOWN, MD - Hagerstown third baseman John Wooten drove in four of the Suns' five runs, including the game winner with a base hit in the bottom of the 13th inning to drop the Kannapolis Intimidators, 5-4, on Thursday at Municipal Stadium. Kannapolis (47-53, 18-15) saw its 4-game winning streak end as the Suns knotted the series with the rubber match to come on Friday.

Wooten, who finished the game 2-4 with a pair of sac-flies and a pair of run-scoring hits, drove a Brad Salgado offering to right-center field with one out in the bottom of the 13th to score Narciso Mesa from third base. Mesa and Wilmer Difo led off the 13th with base hits to set up the winning run.

Salgado (2-1) worked three scoreless relief innings in the 10th, 11th, and 12th before giving up the winning run with one out in the 13th and suffering his first loss with Kannapolis this season. Andrew Cooper (7-2), the fifth Suns pitcher who faced only the final batter of the top of the 13th, logged the win.

With the Suns up 4-3 since the fifth inning, T.J. Williams tied the game in the top of the eighth with a 1-out solo home run (7), eventually forcing extra innings.

Reliever Ben Brewster, pitching in his home state of Maryland, tossed 3.0 scoreless relief innings and did not factor into the decision.

Kannapolis took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. Adam Engel led off the game reaching first base on a hit-by-pitch and later scored on a Danny Hayes RBI-fielder's choice. The Suns tied the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the first on a Wooten 2-out double to score Isaac Ballou.

The Intimidators reclaimed the lead in the second inning when Engel singled with two outs and later scored on a passed ball for a 2-1 lead. Engel's base hit extended his current hitting streak to a career-best 11 games since July 11.

Kannapolis broke a 2-2 tie with bases loaded in the fourth inning as Trey Michalczewski's sac-fly scored T.J. Williams. Suns right fielder Wilman Rodriguez ended the inning by leaping at the wall in right field to rob Jacob Morris of a grand slam.

Hagerstown pulled in front with two runs in the fifth. Isaac Ballou's RBI-triple got past a diving Nolan Earley in left field to tie the game, and Ballou scored on Wooten's second sac-fly of the game for a 4-3 lead.

Thad Lowry tossed 6.0 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits in a no decision.

Suns starter Jake Johansen worked three batters into the fourth inning before being replaced by David Napoli, who tossed 4.0 scoreless relief innings.

Jacob Morris extended his season-best hitting streak to seven games with a leadoff single in the 10th inning.

The Intimidators conclude this 3-game series in Hagerstown on Friday as LHP Andre Wheeler (1-2, 3.27) duals Hagerstown's Lucas Giolito (5-2, 2.54). The team returns to Kannapolis on Thursday, July 31. For ticket and promotional information, call the F&M Bank Box Office at (704) 932-3267 or visit IntimidatorsBaseball.com.

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