SAL1 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Intimidators Hold off Drive 5-4

Published on July 20, 2010 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


GREENVILLE, SC - The Kannapolis Intimidators went into the final frame at Fluor Field with a three-run lead and won it 5-4 with the game-tying run on third as Orlando Santos struck out cleanup hitter Ronald Bermudez to take game one of a four game series.

Ryan Buch started the game for the Intimidators (10-15), winners of three straight, and went five scoreless, allowing three hits and striking out four and Drake Britton started the game and went four scoreless in his start. The scoring didn't begin until the bullpens were summoned.

Tom Ebert (8-2) was summoned in the fifth inning as the Intimidators took a 1-0 lead as Ryan Hamme singled to lead off the inning and was brought home by a double by Daniel Wagner. The Intimidators built a 2-0 lead as Ian Gac hit a home run to dead center in the sixth inning. In the seventh inning, Juan Silverio was hit by an 0-2 pitch to lead the inning off, followed by a perfect hit-and-run which gave the Intimidators first and third with no one down. Silverio scored on a wild pitch, and Wagner, on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kyle Colligan to balloon the lead to four.

Taylor Thompson for the Intimidators worked a scoreless sixth, but after an error with two outs extended the inning, the Drive (16-9) scored two runs to make it 4-2. Matt Wickswat came on with two outs in the seventh and allowed an RBI-single before a 1-2-3 eighth.

In a 4-2 game in the top of the eighth, Jose Vargas hit a high blast over the wall in left and over the condominiums that are roughly 60 feet in the air to take a 5-2 advantage to the ninth and a chance for Santos to save his sixth game.

In the ninth, Santos allowed a leadoff single to Reynaldo Rodriguez before getting Christian Vazquez to pop out. Jeremy Hazelbaker walked and then Derrik Gibson singled in a run, getting to second on the throw as it was 5-3 with two runners in scoring position with one down and the three-hitter Chris McGuiness at the plate. Santos got McGuiness swinging before Bermudez stepped to the plate. During the final at-bat, Santos threw a wild pitch that narrowly got away from catcher Miguel Gonzalez, but Hazelbaker came home to score the fourth run. The ball beat the runner, but the tag was late. On the play Gibson advanced to third with two down in a 5-4 game. Santos, after two 2-2 pitches were fouled off, got Bermudez to swing just enough, Bermudez couldn't hold on a check swing for the final out.

The win is the third in a row for the Intimidators who had lost four straight previous to this run. They look to make it four straight wins as Matt Hopps goes in search of his second win of the year, he will be opposed by Pete Ruiz at 7:00 pm on Wednesday.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 20, 2010


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