All Bats Reach Base in 8-5 Kannapolis Win over Salem Saturday

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers scored in each of the first four innings of their fifth of six games with the Salem RidgeYaks Saturday, winning, 8-5, in front of a great crowd at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With the win, Kannapolis jumps back to above .500 at 51-50, pushing Salem back to 43-57 on the year, still trailing in the Carolina League South division.

LHP Nick Pinto tossed his first start back at home in Saturday’s action, shutting out Salem over three innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. RHP Kendry Garcia piggybacked Pinto, walking five and allowing two hits but only giving up two runs and striking out a pair. RHP Ryan Schiefer landed the win for the fourth time this year, allowing one hit and striking out two RidgeYaks.

Kannapolis opened the scoring for just the second time this season, going ahead, 1-0, on a Stiven Flores RBI double to score Jaden Fauske. The Ballers doubled their lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the second. Braden Holcomb blasted a 1-1 pitch into left-center field 461 feet for his first professional home run and hit in the same swing.

Three more runs crossed the plate in the third and fourth for the home side, pushing the home side ahead, 5-0, on an Alexander Albertus RBI, a Crew McChesney RBI single with an error involved and a sacrifice fly by Efren Teran.

Salem got on the board in the top of the fifth, cutting Kannapolis’ lead to, 5-2, with a Kleyver Salazar RBI double. Mayhem in the frame allowed Starlyn Nunez and Franklin Primera to score, putting the RidgeYaks within distance.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, Grayson Fitzwater notched his first professional hit on a swinging bunt single in the infield, allowing two runs to score on a fielding blunder by the visitors. With Teran and Matthew Boughton scoring on the play, Kannapolis leaped back in front by a wider margin, 7-2.

The RidgeYaks put up another two-run frame in the top of the eighth, cutting the lead to, 7-4, on a sacrifice fly from Skylar King and a D’Angelo Ortiz RBI double.

Flores, who reached base in every trip to the plate, continued his big night in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single to make it, 8-4, in favor of the Cannon Ballers.

Salem’s most impactful bat this week has been Adonys Guzman, and Saturday’s game was no different. The power-bat reached on a wild throw from Alexander Albertus, allowing a run to score and cut the lead to, 8-5, in favor of the home side, with LHP Jordan Morales nailing down the win.

The Ballers wrap up their series with the Salem RidgeYaks in their sixth game of the series Sunday afternoon at Atrium Health Ballpark. RHP Alexander Martinez gets the start in the series finale for Kannapolis, with first pitch set for 1:30 p.m.

The 2026 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers season is underway at Atrium Health Ballpark! Single-game tickets, season ticket packages, group experiences and 10-game mini plans for the 2026 season are available for purchase now. Call the Cannon Ballers ticket office at (704) 932-3267 or visit kcballers.com for more information.