Suns Fall 5-3 in Kannapolis on Friday

Hagerstown, MD - The Hagerstown Suns losing streak continued on Friday, extending to a season-long five games after a 5-3 loss to the Kannapolis Intimidators at Intimidator Stadium. The Suns fall to 18-35 overall and will play the second game of the series against Kannapolis on Saturday with a 7:05 PM first pitch.

Kannapolis started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning against Suns starter Kyle Johnston after a one hour and twenty-nine-minute weather delay. With two outs, Craig Dedelow singled to second and Tate Blackman drove his sixth homer of the season over the left-field wall to give the Intimidators a 2-0 lead.
The Suns took the lead as Kannapolis starter Lincoln Henzman began his second inning of work. Anderson Franco reached on a fielding error but was put-out at second when Yasel Antuna grounded into a fielder's choice. Nick Banks singled to move Antuna to second and Jake Scudder singled to right, scoring Antuna and moving Banks to third. A wild pitch moved Scudder to second and Alex Flores grounded a ball back to Henzman on the mound, allowing Banks to score to tie the game and Scudder to move to third. Armond Upshaw gave the Suns the lead with a single to first, scoring Scudder to make it a 3-2 Hagerstown advantage.
Hagerstown's lead didn't last long, with Kannapolis scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame against Johnston. With one out, Luis Curbelo singled and went to second when Alex Destino walked. With two outs Luis González walked to load the bases and Laz Rivera was hit by a pitch to force home Curbelo and tie the game. Dedelow walked and Destino scored as the Intimidators took the lead back with a 4-3 score.
The Intimidators added an insurance run in the fourth against Suns reliever Andrew Lee. Gonzalez sent a two-out single to center and stole second, moving to third on a wild pitch. Rivera singled to center in a full-count to plate Gonzalez and give Kannapolis a 5-3 lead with the Intimidators eventually going on to win by the same score.
Johnston (0-2) pitched one and two-thirds innings while allowing four runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts in a loss. Lee hurled three and a third with a run on two hits and two walks with a team-high four strikeouts. Sam Held threw the final three innings of the game while allowing two hits and walk.
Notes: Corredor extended his hit-streak to four games… Flores' two walks ties a career-high… Upshaw stole his 12^th base of the year… He's tied for seventh in the league… Franco had his 11^th double of the year… He leads the team and is tied for 12^th in the SAL… Johnston's 1.2 innings pitched is the shortest start of his career… The three walks he allowed is a season-high for the righty… The four earned runs he allowed also ties a career-high… The Suns continue their three-game series with the Intimidators on Saturday with a 7:05 PM first pitch… The Suns will start RHP Tomas Alastre (2-2, 5.70 ERA) while Kannapolis will send a RHP Blake Battenfield (5-1, 1.57 ERA) to the hill.
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