SAL1 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

I's Fall to BlueClaws in 11

Published on April 28, 2018 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


LAKEWOOD, NJ - After an extra inning win the night before, Kannapolis drops an 11 inning battle with the BlueClaws, 5-4, Saturday night at FirstEnergy Park.

The Intimidators (14-9) jumped on the BlueClaws (13-10) in a big way in the first, stringing together four-straight singles, started by Luis Gonzalez and Laz Rivera. With Gonzalez at second base, Justin Yurchak singled on a ground ball to right field, scoring Gonzalez and putting runners at first and second for Craig Dedelow. The Kannapolis left fielder hit the sixth ball thrown from starter Connor Brogdon to left field, scenario for one of the hottest hitters in the South Athletic League, Tate Blackman.

After back-to-back strikeouts from Blackman and Evan Skoug, Michael Hickman singled on a line drive to right field, scoring Rivera and Yurchak, giving the Intimidators a 3-0 lead after one.

Blake Battenfield dazzled on the mound for manager Justin Jirschele, going six strong innings, while only surrendering one run on three hits, lowering his already solid ERA to 2.18. Of those three hits, one of those ended in a run, after Josh Stephen got a hold of a 1-0 pitch from the right-handed pitcher, smashing it to left-center, cutting the lead to two runs.

After a pitching change that saw Luis Carrasco come to the mound for the BlueClaws after five innings for Brogdon, the I's failed to score anyone despite three walks issued by Carrasco through three innings.

In the seventh, Lakewood tied the game up after a two-run shot from Rodolfo Duran to left-center, scoring Danny Mayer who singled earlier in the inning off right-handed reliever Jake Elliot. In to replace Elliot was closer, Tyler Johnson, who struck out the side in the ninth to hold off the fighting BlueClaws, sending the game into extras.

With the second straight day of extra baseball, Rivera was placed on second base to start the inning, scoring on a Carlos Perez line drive single to center field, after the BlueClaws elected to intentionally walk Blackman.

In the bottom half of the tenth, the BlueClaws capitalized on a passed ball by Perez behind the plate, sending the game into the eleventh, tied 4-4. In the eleventh, the Intimidators tried to play small ball by bunting over the runner from second to third, but after a strikeout and a groundout, Hickman was stranded at third. In the bottom half of the inning, two BlueClaws' were intentionally walked, creating a bases loaded scenario. With two outs and Yosmer Solorzano getting the call for the eleventh inning, Solorzano threw a wild pitch to score Dalton Guthrie for the winning run.

The Intimidators and BlueClaws will play Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. for the rubber game.

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 28, 2018


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