Kannapolis Rattles Augusta for Nine Runs in Third Inning of Victory Friday

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Aldrin Batista tied a season-high with six innings pitched and George Wolkow accumulated four RBI in Friday night’s, 13-3, win for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers over the Augusta GreenJackets at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With the win, Kannapolis moves to 51-37 on the season, 10-12 in the second half. The GreenJackets fall to 9-12 in the second half of the Carolina League season, 36-50 on the whole year.

Batista, the number 25 overall prospect in the White Sox organization, allowed two runs on four hits, walking one with no strikeouts. RHP Carson Jacobs made his Atrium Health Ballpark debut in relief, striking out four in two shutout innings, allowing just one baserunner in the form of a walk.

Arxy Hernandez’s first of two RBI in the game gave the Ballers an early, 1-0, lead in the first inning with a sacrifice fly. Hernandez now leads the active roster in RBI with 39 on the season after his pair on Friday.

Augusta found the scoreboard in the top of the second on a Will Verdung solo home run, knotting the game at, 1-1, after two innings.

The Ballers scored an impressive nine runs in the bottom of the third, starting their huge inning with a Wilber Sanchez two-RBI single. With Hernandez at the plate as the next batter, one of four errors on the night for the GreenJackets allowed two runs to score, making it, 5-1. A few batters later, with the bases loaded, Wolkow smashed a bases-clearing RBI double to push the lead to, 8-1, Kannapolis. Albertson Asigen capped off all the effort in the third with an RBI single, then a score on a wild pitch to finish the inning at, 10-1, Cannon Ballers.

Wolkow crossed the plate for the second time in the game in the bottom of the fifth, scoring on a throwing error from Augusta’s catcher to push Kannapolis ahead, 11-1, after five.

John Gil answered for the GreenJackets in his debut, tallying a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth to score Cam Magee. The RBI inched Augusta closer at, 11-2, after the top of the sixth.

Kannapolis’ night offense concluded with a pair in the sixth, with Hernandez adding another run on a groundball RBI double, followed up later in the inning with a Wolkow RBI single. The pair of scores for the Cannon Ballers made it, 13-2, after two-thirds of the game.

Verdung’s second RBI of the night added a run for the GreenJackets in the top of the ninth. The former 13th round pick by the Atlanta Braves smashed an RBI double into left-center field to score Isaiah Drake, making it, 13-3, Kannapolis in the ninth. The monstrous comeback effort did not materialize, however, with the Ballers locking in the victory.

RHP Jake Peppers gets his 15th start of the season for the Cannon Ballers in the second of a three-game series with the Augusta GreenJackets. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, with postgame fireworks planned for all fans to enjoy.

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