Lowry, Valerio combine for SAL-best 11th shutout in series-opener at Charleston

CHARLESTON, S.C. (July 8, 2015) - Thad Lowry and Kelvis Valerio combined to toss the Intimidators league-leading 11th shutout in a 2-0 win over the RiverDogs on Wednesday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston. Kannapolis (7-7 Second Half, 42-41) improved its record over .500 with its third straight win and South Atlantic League-leading 11th shutout.  

Lowry opened with six scoreless frames, keeping Charleston hitless from the third through sixth innings. He worked into a jam in the fifth, putting two men on with no outs, but the Spring, Texas, native induced three pop ups on his way to stranding three men on base in the inning. The right-hander got into trouble to open the seventh, allowing two hits and a walk to load the bases. Kelvis Valerio took over for Lowry with bases loaded and no outs, and the reliever struck out the next two batters and induced a tapper back to the mound to strand the bases loaded and get Kannapolis out of a jam. 

Lowry (9-4) tossed six scoreless innings, working around five hits and three walks while striking out four to earn his team-leading ninth win. Valerio spun three shutout frames, striking out five, for the save (4). In the ninth, Valerio struck out the first batter but walked the next, bringing the tying run to the plate, but the reliever picked off the base runner before throwing a pitch to the following batter, quickly bringing the RiverDogs down to their final out.  

After going hitless through the first four innings, the Intimidators found their first hit in the top of the fifth when Michael Danner led off with a single to left field. Danner stole second and moved to third on an Eddy Alvarez sacrifice bunt before scoring on a Louie Lechich sac-fly for a 1-0 lead. Lechich also made a summersault grab in the sixth inning, racing to deep center field to take away an extra-base hit from Isaias Tejeda.

RiverDogs starter Rony Bautista (3-2) worked a career-long 5 and 2/3 innings but surrounded a career-high seven walks, the most by an individual pitcher against Kannapolis as well as the most by a RiverDogs pitcher in a game this season . He struck out five while giving up just one run on one hit while taking the loss.

With two outs in the ninth, Kannapolis added an insurance run when Alexander Simon singled to right field, scoring Louis Silverio from second base. With a throw from right-fielder Alexander Palma beating Silverio to the plate, the Intimidators baserunner somehow avoided the tag for a 2-0 lead.  

Kannapolis used solid defense early to make three outs on the base paths. In the first inning, catcher Brett Austin nabbed a runner stealing third. In the second with the infield in, Eddy Alvarez threw home to save a run, and Silverio added an assist from right field, throwing out a runner at third base for the final out of the inning.

Kannapolis continues this season-long nine-game road trip with the second game of a five-game series in Charleston as RHP Luis Martinez (3-7, 5.80 ERA) takes the mound for the Intimidators against the RiverDogs' RHP Jordan Foley (2-2, 3.38 ERA). The Intimidators return home on Tuesday, July 14, for a seven-game home stand against Hagerstown and Lakewood. For ticket and promotional information, call the F&M Bank Box Office at (704) 932-3267 or visit IntimidatorsBaseball.com.