BALLERS OUTHIT FIREFLIES AT PLATE BUT DROP SATURDAY NIGHT MATCHUP

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Jose Rodriguez finished the night 4-5 with a home run and five of the nine Cannon Baller starters tallied a multi-hit game, but Kannapolis did not capitalize on their season-high 15 hits, dropping Saturday night’s ballgame at Atrium Health Ballpark with the Columbia Fireflies 10-4.

RHP Jared Kelley got the start for the Ballers on the hill. The No.1 prospect in the White Sox organization got out of some jams early, going three innings and striking out four, while allowing just two hits and no runs. After an injury to Kelley’s hand, LHP Bailey Horn (L, 0-1) entered in relief, going one inning, allowing four hits and three runs, and walking one.

Kannapolis opened the scoring in the bottom of the first just two batters into the ballgame. After Caberea Weaver singled, Rodriguez lined a double to right field that allowed the speedy Weaver to score, making it an early 1-0 advantage. The lead doubled in the bottom of the third on a Bryan Ramos RBI single that gave Weaver another opportunity to cross the plate, giving Kannapolis a 2-0 lead.

Columbia’s bats began to ignite in the top of the fourth, when Herard Gonzalez smacked an RBI single to right field that brought home Rubendy Jaquez. The next batter Darryl Collins got his first of two RBIs on a single of his own that scored Maikel Garcia. Two batters later, Jake Means drove Gonzalez home to give the Fireflies the lead that the Ballers never retook.

Garcia added an insurance run in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly that scored Matt Schmidt. In the top of the sixth, Jake Means launched a two-run home run to left field to bring home Juan Carlos Negret, expanding the Columbia lead to 6-2.

Another big inning of offense for the Fireflies came in the seventh when Garcia tallied his second RBI of the night on an RBI single. Two batters later, Collins brought Garcia home from second base on an infield RBI single. The big inning continued with Negret reaching on a fielding error, giving Gonzalez a window to cross the plate, giving Columbia a 9-2 lead heading into the seventh inning stretch.

Means reached on a fielding error in the top of the ninth, permitting Garcia to accumulate his third run of the game. The Cannon Ballers finished the evening with six errors, proving to be another notably bad night defensively.

Rodriguez cut the lead to 9-3 in the bottom of the seventh on a 405-foot solo shot that landed in the left field berm. The 19-year-old shortstop finished the ballgame with his eighth multi-hit game of the year. A.J. Gill also added a run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single that scored Rodriguez from second. Gill finished the night with three hits, his third multi-hit game of the season.

The Cannon Ballers and the Fireflies close out their six-game series on Sunday afternoon with a 12:30 first pitch. Kannapolis will send out RHP Chase Solesky (0-2, 6.23 ERA), while Columbia will give the ball to Tuesday night’s winning pitcher RHP Michael Stil (2-0, 3.72 ERA).

Fans can purchase tickets for tomorrow’s game at kcballers.com or at the F&M Bank Box Office located at Atrium Health Ballpark.