Pitching Staff Strikes Out Season-High 18 in Kannapolis’ Third Win of Week over Myrtle Beach

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Four Kannapolis Cannon Ballers pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts in the team’s, 4-3, win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in front of the biggest crowd of 2024 Friday night at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With the win, Kannapolis moves to 42-25 on the season, 1-0 in the second half of the Carolina League season. Myrtle Beach put up a valiant effort, but the Pelicans fall to 0-1 in the second half after the one-run ballgame, 29-38 on the season.

LHP Tommy Vail mustered 3.1 shutout innings on the mound in his second start of the year, striking out eight and walking just one. RHP Mark McLaughlin allowed a pair of runs in 2.1 innings but struck out a season-high four in his outing, followed by another four strikeouts from RHP Connery Peters. RHP Nick Altermatt tossed his second save of the season, sitting down the Pelicans in order in the top of the ninth inning.

Kannapolis notched the first run of the ballgame in the bottom of the second, moving ahead, 1-0, on a wild pitch from Myrtle Beach’s starting arm RHP Nazier Mule that allowed Arxy Hernandez to score. Just one inning later, a bases-loaded walk of Drake Logan doubled the lead for the Cannon Ballers, putting the score at, 2-0, after three innings.

Logan tallied his second RBI of the night in the bottom of the fifth, scoring Mikey Kane from third on a sacrifice fly to push the Ballers to a, 3-0, lead after five.

Carter Trice and Drew Bowser made the ballgame interesting for Myrtle Beach in the later half of the game. Both batters smoked RBI doubles into the outfield, with Trice driving in a pair in the sixth and Bowser a single run in the eighth to tie the game at, 3-3.

The Ballers immediately pounced back into the lead in the bottom of the eighth, needing only two batters to retake the advantage. After George Wolkow crushed his first non-home run extra-base hit with a leadoff triple, Ryan Burrowes launched a fly ball into right field to earn a sacrifice fly and the eventual game-winning RBI.

Saturday marks Reunion Night for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, with the team welcoming back former players, coaches and staff of the team back for a celebration of 30 seasons of baseball in Kannapolis. RHP Seth Keener gets the start in the sixth game of seven between the Ballers and Myrtle Beach Pelicans, with first pitch slated for 7:00 p.m. at Atrium Health Ballpark.

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