Pirela's Three Hit Day Sparks Howlers Victory

The Hill City Howlers start the year 2-0 after an 8-2 drubbing of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in Kannapolis.

It was another big day at the plate for the Howlers, as they scattered 11 hits and took 10 walks in the victory, bolstered by a three-hit day in outfielder Jose Pirela’s season debut.

Pitching picked things up as well, with Jacob Zibin and Miguel Flores combining for 14 strikeouts in the win. Zibin led the charge with nine Ks, a career-high for the right-hander.

After Howlers starting pitcher Jacob Zibin wrestled out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, Pirela gave him some support with a two-run single, bringing catcher Tyler Howard and first baseman Luis De La Cruz home to make it 2-0.

Following a stolen base and wild pitch that got Cannon Ballers second baseman Javier Mogollon to third base in the bottom of the third, Mogollon came home on an infield hit off the bat of designated hitter Stiven Flores bringing the score to 2-1. After that, Zibin settled in and struck out his sixth batter in catcher Boston Smith to end the frame.

Jose Pirela kept his strong season debut going in the top of the sixth, driving in Howlers catcher Tyler Howard on a single through the right side, making the score 3-1.

Fast forward an inning and the Howlers plated another on a flare to shallow center off the bat of Hill City outfielder Yeiferth Castillo, infielder Dauri Fernandez came home on the knock to make it a 4-1 ballgame.

The runs didn’t stop there in the seventh, as one batter later, designated hitter Cannon Peebles got his first 2026 hit on an RBI double rocketed to deep center, scoring Castillo to extend Hill City’s lead to 5-1. To cap off the inning, outfielder Yerlin Luis drove in Peebles on an infield single, making the score at the end of the frame 6-1 Howlers.

Kannapolis stopped the barrage in the bottom of the seventh, getting a run back after shortstop Billy Carlson drilled a double to left-center field, bringing home right fielder Jaden Fauske.

Hill City quickly erased the progress the Cannon Ballers had made in the previous inning, scoring a run in the top of the eighth on a Cannon Peebles RBI groundout, bringing Dauri Fernandez across to make it 7-2 Howlers.

Fernandez put the cherry on top in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI double to plate the eighth run, the final one of the game.

The Howlers will attempt to sweep the three-game set tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. in Kannapolis.