SAL1 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Game Notes: Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) at Greenbsoro Grasshoppers (July 9, 2014)

Published on July 9, 2014 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS at GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS

14-6, 43-44 (Chicago White Sox) 13-7, 57-33 (Miami Marlins)

Wednesday, July 9, 2014 - 12:30 p.m.

NewBridge Bank Park - Greensboro, N.C.

2nd Half Game #21 (88 of 137)

LH Jeff McKenzie (1-1, 7.56) vs. LH Sean Townsley (4-2, 2.64)

Today's Preview:The first place Intimidators (A, White Sox) play for a series sweep in the finale of this 3-game series against the Grasshoppers (A, Marlins). Kannapolis has matched its season-high with 12 runs in each of its last three games, and the offensive outburst has coincided with a 3-game winning streak. The Intimidators send left-hander Jeff McKenzie to the mound for his third Class A start while the Grasshoppers counter with a southpaw of their own, Sean Townsley. Kannapolis is looking to return the favor to Greensboro, who swept the Intimidators over a 4-game series at CMC-NorthEast Stadium in mid-June.

Alone At The Top: Kannapolis (14-6) is 1.0 game ahead of both Greensboro (13-7) and Hickory (13-7) in the SAL Northern Division Second Half standings. The Intimidators, which were tied with the two in-state rivals at the top of the division on Tuesday, are in sole possession of first place in the division for the first time since April 10, 2013, when Kannapolis was 4-2 early in the First Half of the 2013 campaign.

Intimidators Starter: Jeff McKenzie, 23, makes his third start for Kannapolis and first against a Marlins affiliate. He earned a win in his Class A debut on June 29 against Charleston, allowing a run over 5.0 innings of work then took a loss at Hagerstown on July 4, allowing six runs over 3.1 innings. McKenzie made two starts with Advanced Rookie Great Falls to open this season, going 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA before earning a promotion to Kannapolis on June 21. He made his professional debut in 2013, going 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA (4 ER/25 IP) in 16 games, converting all six save chances as the Voyagers closer. The White Sox drafted McKenzie in the 28th round of the June 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Cal State Bakersfield, where he was college teammates with Intimidators 2B Tyler Shryock. McKenzie was named Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year and became CSU Bakersfield's first All-American baseball player by going 13-2 with a 1.88 ERA (24 ER/114.2 IP), six complete games (four shutouts) and 88 strikeouts in 2013.

Hoppers Hurler: Sean Townsley, 23, makes his 11th start of the season and first against Kannapolis. He earned wins in each of his last three starts, including working 8.0 scoreless innings at hitter-friendly Asheville on June 29, striking out eight batters. He ranks third in the league with a 2.64 ERA and fourth in WHIP (1.12) Townsley, a native of High Point, N.C., is 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA (14 ER/53 IP) in 10 starts compared to a 3.27 ERA (8 ER/22 IP) with three saves in three opportunities in six relief appearances.

About Last Night:Kannapolis equaled its season-high offensive output for the third straight night, routing the Grasshoppers, 12-2 (F/8), in Greensboro on Tuesday. The Intimidators hit four home runs, including a trio of 2-out shots by Danny Hayes, Carl Thomore, and Adam Engel as well as a solo shot by Jacob Morris. The Intimidators pounded out 18 hits, a season-high, to clinch a series win. Robinson Leyer tossed a rain-shortened complete game, the first of his career, spinning all 7.0 innings and limiting Greensboro to three hits.

Robinson Rolls: Starting pitcher Robinson Leyer kept the Grasshoppers quiet on Tuesday, limiting the South Atlantic League Northern Division First Half Champs to only two runs on three hits over 7.0 innings. It was the first career complete-game for Leyer, who earned the win (5-5) in the rain-shortened game. He now ranks 10th in the SAL with a 3.16 ERA and leads Kannapolis with 17 games started this season.

Down With the Sickness: The Intimidators proved hitting is contagious on Tuesday, collecting a season-high 18 hits over eight innings of at-bats against the Grasshoppers, surpassing their previous season-high of 16 (twice, last on Monday against Greensboro). All nine Intimidators batters hit safely, including multi-hit games for six of the nine. Trey Michalczewski, Carl Thomore, and Nolan Earley each had 3-hit games. Eight of the 18 hits went for extra bases, including four doubles and a season-high four home runs.

Austin Goes Streaking: Brett Austin, the White Sox fourth round pick in the June 2014 First-Year Player Draft, has hit safely in his last 10 games, since June 24, batting .333 (12-36) with nine RBI in that span. It's the third 10-game hitting streak by an Intimidator and first since Trey Michalczewski's 17-game streak (May 27-June 14).

Cheaper By The Dozen: The Intimidators matched their season-high with 12 runs on Tuesday, the team's third straight game with a dozen runs scored and fifth 12-run game this season. Kannapolis plated 12 on Monday in Greensboro and on Sunday at Hagerstown. The 12-2 win on Tuesday matched the Intimidators' largest margin of victory on the season of 10 runs, equaling the margin of a 12-2 win in Rome on April 25.

Power Surge: After Tuesday's season-high four home runs for the Intimidators, Kannapolis has hit 13 home runs through eight games in July, the second-most in the league in the month behind home-run happy Hickory (14). Through the first two months of the season, the Intimidators hit only 15 home runs, the fewest in the league over April and May. Since then, Kannapolis has launched 34 home runs between June and July, second to the Crawdads, who have hit 48 in that span.

Walk This Way: Danny Hayes leads the SAL with 47 walks and ranks fifth in the league with a .401 on-base percentage. Teammate Jacob Morris drew a walk on Tuesday to bring his total to 43, tie for third in the SAL.

Broadcast: This week's 3-game series at Greensboro will be broadcast on the Kannapolis Intimidators Baseball Network with Josh Feldman, now in his fourth season with the team. All 70 home games and select road games can be heard online at IntimidatorsBaseball.com and on the TuneIn Radio App.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 9, 2014


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