Ballers and Woodpeckers Split Doubleheader with Two Low-Scoring Matchups

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – With a combined eight runs between the two teams over two games, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (61-60) fell in game one, 3-2, but rebounded with a game two, 2-1, walk-off victory over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (54-68) Thursday night at Atrium Health Ballpark.

GAME ONE

Despite the home side jumping in front in the bottom of the fourth, Fayetteville rattled off a trio of unanswered runs with two in the sixth to tie, and an extra-inning RBI in the top of the eighth to win, 3-2, over Kannapolis.

Ballers starting RHP Aldrin Batista turned in a sharp five innings on the mound, shutting out the Woodpeckers with five strikeouts. After RHP Connery Peters gave up two runs, RHP Zach Franklin kept the game tied in the top of the seventh before RHP Billy Seidl (L, 5-4) allowed one unearned run in extra innings.

Jacob Gonzalez turned in the first of two RBI singles in the doubleheader in the bottom of the fourth, followed up shortly after by a Ryan Galanie hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, pushed the Ballers over the Peckers, 2-0, after four innings.

Fayetteville did not give in, piecing together a pair of runs in the sixth inning with a Brice Matthews RBI groundout and a Garret Guillemette RBI double, evening the game, 2-2, and forcing extra innings.

With the placed runner on base and moving up in a prior at-bat, Leosdany Molina notched an RBI groundout to put the Woodpeckers in the lead, 3-2, and eventually hand the visitors their second win of the week.

GAME TWO

Kannapolis took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth with Gonzalez’s second RBI single of the night, pushing the Ballers ahead, 1-0.

LHP Shane Murphy tossed four and two-thirds no-hit innings before surrendering two base hits to the Woodpeckers in the top of the fifth. Fayetteville evened the game on a Pascanel Ferreras RBI single to left field, scoring Luis Encarnacion to make it a, 1-1, matchup after five innings.

After battling to get runners on base and LHP Ben Beutel (W, 5-4) closing the door on a Fayetteville threat in the top of the seventh, two Cannon Ballers reached base then advanced on a balk. Drake Logan, who was hitless in the game entering the seventh, came through with a walk-off RBI single up the middle, scoring Ryan Galanie to hand Kannapolis their first win of the week.

ON TO THE NEXT

The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers have just three home games remaining at Atrium Health Ballpark in the 2023 season. The Ballers will host the Fayetteville Woodpeckers on First Responders Night in a 7:00 p.m. first pitch matchup on Friday night. RHP Tanner McDougal is scheduled to get the ball to start the night on the mound for Kannapolis.

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.