Lechich homers, Intimidators hold on late

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (August 30, 2015) - Louie Lechich blasted his team-leading sixth home run in the fifth inning, and the Intimidators broke a tie in the top of the eighth to beat the Suns, 5-4, on Sunday at Hagerstown's Municipal Stadium. Kannapolis (27-35-1 Second Half, 62-68-1) won its third straight game, the first 3-game winning streak for the Intimidators since August 2.

With the game tied 4-4 in the eighth inning, Cody Daily doubled with two outs off reliever David Napoli and used a pair of wild pitches to score the go-ahead run for a 5-4 Intimidators advantage. Daily finished 2-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Lechich went 2-5 with a career-high-tying three RBI and a run scored.  

Reliever Connor Walsh, who struck out all four batters he faced in the seventh inning, got into trouble in the bottom of the eighth. Johnathan Frebis, the White Sox 33rd round pick in the June 2015 First-Year Player Draft, took the mound with two on and one out in the eighth inning. He walked the first batter he faced, loading the bases, before retiring the next five batters he faced to finish the game. Frebis earn his first professional save (1) while Walsh notched the win (1-3).

Hagerstown took an early lead with three runs in the second inning. The first three batters of the inning all reached base safely, including a Conor Keniry RBI-single for a 1-0 lead. The Suns used a pair of Intimidators errors and a pair of sacrifice flies to extend their advantage to 3-0.

Kannapolis got on the board in the third inning when Hunter Jones drew a bases loaded walk, and the Intimidators pulled ahead on Lechich's go-ahead home run (6). The Suns tied the game, 4-4, on a Dale Carey sac-fly in the sixth.

Kannapolis starter Luis Martinez spun 5.0 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in a no decision. Devon Davis pitched the sixth inning, allowing a run on a hit.

Napoli (6-5) took the loss, allowing a run on two hits over three relief innings.  

Walsh fanned the first four batters he faced, striking out the side in the seventh inning, including a strikeout-wild pitch that allowed Osvaldo Abreu to reach base. It's the second straight appearance for Walsh to fan four batters in a single inning. He now has 75 strikeouts in 48 and 1/3 innings this season.

The Intimidators and Suns continue this five-game series on Monday at 7:05 p.m. as RHP Jose Brito (1-2, 4.32 ERA) takes the mound against Hagerstown's LHP Connor Bach (6-4, 3.67 ERA). The Intimidators return to Kannapolis on Thursday, Sept. 3, for the final five games of the 2015 season against the West Virginia Power. For ticket and promotional information, call the F&M Bank Box Office at (704) 932-3267 or visit IntimidatorsBaseball.com.