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SAL1 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Intimidators Down Early, Win 8-2

August 17, 2010 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


Down 2-0 after the top of the first inning, the Kannapolis Intimidators struck with three runs in the bottom of the first and never lost the lead in an 8-2 victory in the first of a four-game series with the Hickory Crawdads in Kannapolis on Tuesday night.

Starter Andre Rienzo allowed the first three batters to reach, two on walks, and then allowed a two-run single by Zach Zaneski in the first inning as the Crawdads (26-23) took a 2-0 lead in the first. Rienzo would settle down and work the next five innings scoreless with seven strikeouts en route to his sixth straight victory.

Down by two in the bottom of the first against starter Braden Tullis, Tyler Saladino singled and then scored on a double by Brady Shoemaker to the wall in right center. Then, the next batter, Ian Gac hit his second home run of the season off Tullis (6-1) and 19th overall to bring the Intimidators (24-26) from 2-0 down to 3-2 up after the first inning. The Intimidators would not look back from here.

On a Jake Oester singled in the second, bringing home Jordan Cheatham who singled and stole two bases, the Intimidators went up 4-2 in the second and added another run in the fourth on a Miguel Gonzalez single, scoring Jose Vargas from third to go up 5-2.

In the fifth, still against Tullis who went five, Shoemaker singled home Daniel Wagner from second to push the lead out to four runs at 6-2. The game though had a brief nervous moment in the top of the next inning.

Rienzo (6-4) looking to go seven innings started the seventh and lost the seven and eight hitters on 3-2 counts to walk the first two hitters of the inning. Ernie Young then summoned Ryan Kussmual from the pen who got Edwin Garcia to pop out to right and Yefry Castillo to line into a double play to Gac at first, ending the inning.

The Intimidators added two more runs in the seventh without the benefit of a hit and Taylor Thompson worked a clean eighth before facing three and striking out the side in the ninth to end the ballgame, an 8-2 win.

The win snaps a three-game losing streak and Kannapolis have won 10 in the last 14 at home. The loss for the Crawdads makes it five in a row.

The series will continue at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium on Wednesday as Ryan Buch will take to the mound to keep his record unblemished and he will be opposed by a strikeout force in Miguel De Los Santos at 7:05 pm.

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 17, 2010


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