Bats unable to heat up as Ballers fall to Fireflies

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Jose Rodriguez added his seventh multi-hit game of the year, but the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers dropped their fourth-straight game 7-1 against the Columbia Fireflies at Atrium Health Ballpark.

RHP Yoelvin Silven (L, 0-2) got the nod for the Ballers on the mound, going 3.2 innings and allowing five runs, two earned, on four hits and four walks while striking out three. LHP Dilmer Mejia entered in relief in the fourth inning, working 2.2 innings, striking out two and walking one, giving up three hits and one earned run.

The Fireflies opened the scoring in the top of the first inning on a Brady McConnell two-RBI double to right field that scored Darryl Collins and Jake Means, giving Columbia a 2-0 lead.

Herard Gonzalez expanded the lead in the top of the second on an RBI double of his own that allowed Matt Schmidt to cross the plate making it a 3-0 game in favor of the Fireflies. Four batters later, Gonzalez scored on a balk by Silven to grow the lead to 4-0.

Another costly balk by Silven occurred in the top of the third, giving Tyler Tolbert the opportunity to score and give Columbia a 5-0 lead.

Kannapolis got a run back in the bottom of the third when Bryan Ramos stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. The No.13 overall prospect in the White Sox organization grounded out to third base, allowing James Beard to give the Ballers their first and only run of the ballgame to make it a 5-1 game.

LHP Rylan Kaufman started on the hill for the Fireflies, going four innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run, while striking out five Kannapolis batters. LHP Emilio Marquez (W, 1-0) entered in relief in the fifth, proving to be nearly unhittable. The Venezuelan southpaw gave just one hit up over his four innings, striking out nine Ballers.

Columbia notched two insurance runs later in the ballgame. In the top of the fifth, Tolbert tallied his second triple of the night, scoring Means from second. In the top of the ninth, Omar Hernandez added an RBI single to right field that brought home Maikel Garcia, making it a 7-1 lead, advantage Fireflies.

The Cannon Ballers are back in action Friday night for their fourth of six matchups this series with Columbia. RHP Andrew Dalquist (0-0, 1.42 ERA) gets his fourth start of the year on the mound for Kannapolis, while RHP Cruz Noriega (0-0, 7.71 ERA) will begin the night on the hill for the Fireflies in the Friday night showdown.

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