Hoppers spoil Intimidators' First Half

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (June 17, 2018) -- The Grasshoppers scored two runs in the ninth inning to secure a 3-1 win over the Intimidators, completing a 3-game sweep and preventing Kannapolis from winning the First Half. With Greensboro's win, Lakewood earned the South Atlantic League Northern Division First Half championship on the final day of the half.
With the game tied 1-1 going into the ninth inning, Greensboro went to work against Kannapolis reliever Zach Lewis. Isael Soto drew a leadoff walk, and J.C. Millan laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Soto into scoring position. Will Allen followed with a base hit, chasing Lewis from the game. Micah Brown dropped a squeeze bunt off reliever Jose Nin, scoring Soto from third for the go-ahead run. Rodrigo Ayarza added a two-out RBI-single, scoring Allen for the insurance run.
Travis Neubeck took the mound in the ninth and struck out two in a perfect frame, securing the Grasshoppers victory and knocking the Intimidators from first place and giving the BlueClaws a berth into the postseason.
Colton Hock (7-3) earned the win, his league-lead-tying seventh of the season, with 2.0 scoreless innings, working around a hit and a walk. Neubeck earned the save (2) for the Grasshoppers, while Lewis (1-2) took the loss for the Intimidators.
Greensboro (34-35) scored the game's first run in the top of the second inning. Allen belted a solo home run (4) with one out in the frame fora 1-0 lead. Allen finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. 
Kannapolis tied the game in the fourth inning when Tate Blackman doubled, and two batters later, Anthony Villa smacked an RBI-double to even the score, 1-1. 
The South Atlantic League enters it's 3-day All-Star Break as the 14-team league turns its attention to Greensboro for the 59th Annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game presented by Pizza Hut on Tuesday, June 19. This will be the second All-Star Game held at First National Bank Field, and gates open at 4 p.m. with pre-game player autographs (4:15 p.m. - 5 p.m.), and home run derby (5:15 p.m. - 6 p.m.), and the game itself at 7:05 p.m. with post-game fireworks. Tickets are still available online at gsohoppers.com.