Kannapolis Falls in Game Two Contest with RiverDogs; Game Three Set for Friday Night

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers held a lead in the bottom of the sixth inning of Thursday’s Game 2 of the Carolina League Divisional Series but ended up on the wrong end of a four-run effort from the Charleston RiverDogs, falling, 7-4, at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With the loss, the series between Kannapolis and Charleston is now tied at 1-1, with game three on Friday, scheduled for 7:00 p.m., acting as the deciding matchup of the series. Both teams have suffered a home loss in the series, with Kannapolis having home-field advantage as the first-half champion.

RHP Mason Moore tossed a much better performance than his first in a Ballers uniform, striking out three over three shutout innings, walking two. RHP Carlton Perkins struggled as the first relief arm for Kannapolis, with three runs on 2.1 innings, walking four and allowing three hits. LHP Frankeli Arias (L, 0-1) was dealt the loss in Thursday’s contest, allowing a decisive two runs on 1.2 innings with two walks and a strikeout.

Charleston scored the first runs of the game in the top of the fifth, driving in three on a Jhon Diaz sacrifice fly, scoring Aidan Smith. Brady Marget quickly followed with a two-RBI single to score Emilien Pitre and Connor Hujsak to put the RiverDogs out ahead, 3-0.

The Ballers struggled to earn runs off Charleston’s starting arm RHP Santiago Suarez, who did not allow Kannapolis to score until the bottom of the fifth with a George Wolkow RBI double to score Ryan Burrowes. Suarez struck out nine in five innings of action, allowing no walks and six hits.

Burrowes continued his torrid ways at the plate in the playoffs, notching another big hit in the series with a sixth-inning RBI double, scoring Arxy Hernandez and Jackson Appel to tie the game at, 3-3. One batter later, Sam Antonacci singled to score Jeral Perez and push the Ballers ahead, 4-3, after six frames.

Pinch-hitting in the ninth slot of the lineup, Enderson Delgado’s first of two RBI hits put Charleston back in front in the top of the seventh. A two-RBI single to center field scored Angel Mateo and Narciso Polanco to hand the RiverDogs a, 5-4, advantage after seven. Hujsak and Delgado combined for a run each in the eighth and ninth, adding a sacrifice fly and a triple, respectively, to push Charleston ahead, 7-4, a lead that Kannapolis could not muster a comeback for in the later innings.

RHP Jake Peppers gets the start in the biggest game of the year for the Cannon Ballers, taking the mound for the 23rd time in a Kannapolis uniform this season. First pitch is slated for 7:00 p.m. on Friday against the Charleston RiverDogs.

Fans can purchase tickets for Friday’s elimination game at kcballers.com or at the F&M Bank Box Office located at Atrium Health Ballpark. Tickets start at $1 for the win-or-go-home contest between Kannapolis and Charleston.