Carolina Outlasts Kannapolis in Extra-Inning Battle Friday

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (57-54) jumped into an early lead, but crumbled late to fall in extra innings to the Carolina Mudcats (62-47), 8-6, in 10 innings Friday night at Atrium Health Ballpark.

RHP Tanner McDougal only lasted two-thirds of an inning, walking three and allowing one run to cross on a wild pitch. LHP Ben Beutel quickly entered in relief and worked 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits.

Carolina scooped the first run of the ballgame in the top of the second with a Jadher Areinamo RBI groundout, putting the Mudcats ahead, 1-0.

Kannapolis’ big inning of offense came against Mudcats starter RHP Patricio Aquino in the bottom of the third. Jhoneiker Betancourt’s double and singles from Ryan Galanie and Juan Gonzalez put the Ballers on top, 4-1, after four innings.

Areinamo tallied the first of two doubles on his night in the top of the fifth, scoring Dylan O’Rae to cut the Kannapolis lead to, 4-2. Luke Adams followed two batters later with a sacrifice fly to slice the deficit to one. Jace Avina turned in a big night on both sides of the ball, notching an RBI single in the top of the seventh to knot the ballgame at, 4-4.

The Ballers got the lead back for a split second in the bottom of the seventh with a Chris Lanzilli RBI single, scoring Wilber Sanchez to take a, 5-4, lead.

O’Rae tied the game for the second and final time in the top of the eighth, scoring on a wild pitch from RHP Emerson Talavera (L, 3-2).

Galanie had a chance to send fans home happy in the bottom of the ninth, but the Mudcats left fielder Avina made a highlight-reel catch at the wall to rob a home run and send the game to extras.

The Mudcats rattled off a flurry of offense in the tenth with an O’Rae sacrifice fly, a Tayden Hall RBI single and an Adams triple to soar ahead, 8-5. Kannapolis earned a run back with a Calvin Harris pinch-hit RBI groundout in the bottom of the tenth, but the home side did not find a way to climb out of the two run deficit.

The Cannon Ballers’ annual Starry Night, in support of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, takes place in the fifth of six games between Kannapolis and Carolina on Saturday night. First pitch is slated for 7:00 p.m., with RHP Peyton Pallette taking the hill for the Ballers.

Fans can purchase tickets for any remaining home games at kcballers.com or at the F&M Bank Box Office located at Atrium Health Ballpark.