Legends rally in 9th for 4-3 win

Kyle Pollock delivered a two-run double in the ninth inning to put Lexington in front, and the Legends held on for a 4-3 win over the Kannapolis Intimidators Wednesday night.

Matt Strahm struck out nine batters in three innings of relief for Lexington.

Kannapolis opened the scoring with a run in the third inning. With one out, Ethan Gross walked and was forced out at second on a ground ball hit by James Baldwin. Michael Danner singled Baldwin to third, from where he scored on a base hit by Christian Stringer.

The Intimidators extended their lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Baldwin tripled with one out and scored on a passed ball charged to catcher Chase Vallot.   Danner drew a walk and moved to second on a single by Stringer. 

Louie Lechich lined out to left field, but a wild pitch from Legends starter Torey Deshazier allowed the runners to move to second and third, and a walk to Nick Basto loaded the bases.    Danner came home on a wild pitch.

The Legends got on the board in the sixth on a single by Michael Hill and a triple by Humberto Arteaga, and they added another run in the top of the eighth. Hill was hit by a pitch and later moved to second on an errant pickoff throw by reliever David Trexler.   Arteaga's single sent Hill to third, and he scored on a wild pitch to cut Kannapolis' lead to one at 3-2.

Alfredo Escalera led off the top of the ninth with an infield hit. Vallot's bunt was fielded by the catcher, Austin, but Austin's throw to second for a force play was dropped by shortstop Ryan Leonards for an error.   Samir Duenez sacrificed the runners to second and third, and Pollock brought them both home with a two-base hit to center field.

Kannapolis put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth against reliever Evan Beal, one on an error and one on a walk, but Beal struck out Lechich to end the game. Beal picked up his second save.

Strahm (2-1) got the win. He relieved Deshazier at the start of the sixth inning, faced 10 batters over the next three innings, and struck out nine.   Gross, who drew a walk with one out in the bottom of the sixth, was the only baserunner allowed by Strahm. Kannapolis reliever Jefferson Olacio (0-1) was the losing pitcher.

Kannapolis won two out of three in the series. The Legends return home to open a four-game series against the Greenville Drive Thursday night. Game time is 7:05 p.m. Greenville, an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, is in first place in the South Atlantic League Southern Division.