SAL1 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Game Notes: Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) vs. Hagerstown Suns (Nationals) - June 1, 2014 (Doub

Published on June 1, 2014 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS vs. HAGERSTOWN SUNS

24-29 (Chicago White Sox)

36-18 (Washington Nationals)

Sunday, June 1, 2014 - 3 p.m. - Doubleheader

CMC-NorthEast Stadium - Kannapolis, N.C.

Games #54 & #55

RH Jake Sanchez (4-3, 3.27) vs. RH Reynaldo Lopez (0-0, 5.79)

RH Tyler Barnette (2-3, 4.66) vs. RH Andrew Cooper (4-1, 2.97)

. Today's Preview: On the heels of a doubleheader sweep, the Intimidators (A, White Sox) return to the field for another twin bill against the Suns (A, Nationals) to complete this 4-game series. Jake Sanchez, the reigning Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year, takes the ball for Kannapolis in Game 1, and former Charlotte 49ers hurler Tyler Barnette toes the rubber in Game 2. After rain kept the teams off the field Thursday and Friday, Kannapolis edged first-place Hagerstown in a pair of 1-run games to get off to a hot start to the series. Just one win today would secure the first series victory for Kannapolis since sweeping a fog-shortened two-game series May 7-8 at Lakewood. The Intimidators entered this weekend series having lost 14 of 17 games, but the once-blazing Suns have also recently faltered, dropping 10 of their last 15 games including both games on Saturday.

Promotions Preview: Today's team photo giveaway (first 1,000 fans) features a pregame autograph party with the entire team presented by the City of Kannapolis from 2:30-2:45pm. Fans can bring their dogs Sunday to Bark in the Park presented by South Ridge Veterinary Hospital. Kids can run the bases after every Kid's Day Sunday game presented by Cornerstone Church. Also today, Dakota and The Dinosaur Response Squad return to the ballpark as Dakota the dinosaur will throw out the first pitch before Game 2 of the doubleheader.

Intimidating Starter: Jake Sanchez, 24, makes his seventh start and second against the Suns as he tries to snap a string of three straight losses, dating back to his May 13 start at Hagerstown. In that game, Sanchez was the hard-luck loser, allowing two runs (one earned) over 6.0 innings. After logging quality starts in three of his first four outings, Sanchez struggled in his last two starts, allowing 12 runs (11 earned) over 9.2 innings in losses to Hickory and at Delmarva. He opened 2014 with 18.1 scoreless innings, not allowing a run in the entire month of April, going 3-0 with 3 saves in seven games (one start), but he's now 1-3 with a 5.61 ERA in five starts in May. Last season, he led the Pioneer League in ERA (2.87), strikeouts (76) and opponent average (.230) and ranked third in IP (81.2). He went 6-3 in 14 starts for Advanced Rookie Great Falls and ranked second among White Sox farm hands in ERA after signing as a free agent on June 8, 2013, out of the independent Frontier League. Sanchez joined the independent Joliet Slammers in 2012 after graduating from Iowa Wesleyan.

Tyler Barnette, 21, makes his sixth start and first appearance against the Suns. He is coming off consecutive losses, both to Hickory, having allowed 13 runs (10 earned) over 6.0 innings in those games. Prior to that, he notched back-to-back wins at Lakewood and against Delmarva. The reliever-turned-starter is 2-3 with a 7.71 ERA (18 ER/21 IP) in five starts compared to 0-0 with 0.57 ERA (1 ER/15.2 IP) in six games out of the bullpen. Barnette set a new career-high with seven strikeouts in his May 14 win against Delmarva in the first quality start of this career. The White Sox selected Barnette in the 14th round of the June 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of UNC Charlotte where he earned Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year in 2011.

Hagerstown Hurlers: Reynaldo Lopez, 20, makes his second start of the season after taking no decision In a road outing against Delmarva on May 26. In that game, he gave up three runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings, striking out three and walking none. The right-hander appeared in just two games last year, starting for the Suns against Lakewood on June 15, and starting for Short-Season Auburn a week later on June 21, allowing 7 runs in 1.1 innings for a loss. In 2012, Lopez went 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in five games for the DSL Nationals.

Andrew Cooper, 21, makes his third start of the season and second appearance against Kannapolis as he starts Game 2 of today's twin bill. Cooper earned a relief win on May 12 over Kannapolis by tossing a scoreless 11th inning. Cooper is 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in six road games (one start) with 15 strikeouts and no walks in 23 IP but just 1-1 with a 5.23 ERA in his five home games (one start). Cooper is coming off a no decision at Delmarva in a 5.0 inning outing, allowing a run on five hits on May 26. He is 0-1 with a 4.32 ERA in two starts compared to 4-0 with a 2.52 ERA in nine relief appearances.

About Last Night: Kannapolis swept a doubleheader over the Suns, taking Game 1, 3-2 (F/7), thanks to a pair of HR by Kale Kiser (1) and Hunter Jones (2) that tied the game and gave the Intimidators a lead, respectively. On the mound, Robinson Leyer worked 6.0 strong innings for the win, and Matt Abramson escaped the seventh with the bases loaded for the save (4). In Game 2, the Intimidators notched a 4-3 win as Jordan Guerrero spun 2.0 scoreless relief IP for the win as Kannapolis twice came from behind. David Putman earned the save (3).

Double Your Pleasure: Kannapolis is 7-7 in doubleheader games this season, including 3-1 against the Suns in twin bills. The teams split a doubleheader in Hagerstown on May 11, and Kannapolis swept Saturday's twin bill to open this series. The Intimidators last swept a doubleheader on May 30, 2012, beating Rome in Kannapolis.

Close Calls: The Intimidators are now 3-3 against the first place Hagerstown Suns this season with five of the six games between the teams decided by one run with the sixth game decided by two runs. The Intimidators are now 11-7 in games decided by one run this season, the third-best winning percentage (.611) in the SAL.

Robinson Rolls: Kannapolis starter Robinson Leyer spun his second quality start of the season in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. Both have come against the Suns. Leyer worked 6.0 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits to secure his first win since May 5. After struggling in his first two starts of 2014, Leyer has been one of the league's best pitchers, going 3-1 with a 1.90 ERA (9 ER/42.2 IP) in his last eight starts.

Hammerin' Hunter: After Hunter Jones went without a home run in his first 334 professional at-bats, the lead off man added his second in consecutive games by going deep in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. He finished Sunday 3-5 with a home run and 3 runs scored over both games, running his current hitting streak to a season-best five games, batting .421 (8-19) in that span, upping his season average to .203 (12-59).

Kiser Rolls: Kale Kiser came through with his first home run in over a year in Game 1 of Saturday's twin bill, taking fellow North Texas native Jake Johansen deep to tie the game in the bottom of the third inning. Kiser, who won the 2008 Texas state title at Plano West High School, enjoyed success at the prep level against Johansen's Allen (Texas) High School, as the Wolves beat the Eagles twice during Kiser's senior year in 2008.

Broadcast: This season, all 70 home games and select road games can be heard live on the Intimidators Baseball Network available at IntimidatorsBaseball.com and on the TuneIn Radio App. Today's pregame show begins at 2:45 p.m. with first pitch of Game 1 at 3:00 p.m.

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 1, 2014


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