Beard & Sanchez Collect Three-Hit Days in Blowout Loss

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – After tying up Thursday night’s game 2-2 after three innings of play against Down East, the Ballers allowed the Woodies to put up 12 runs over the next six frames, ultimately dropping their 14-straight game 14-3 at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With rain and lightning in the area, Thursday night’s Low-A East showdown received a delay that lasted just over one hour. After the delay, Kannapolis’ Matt Thompson (L, 1-7) allowed an early run on a double from Jayce Easley and an RBI-single off the bat of Daniel Mateo.

In the second, Harvin Mendoza continued his positive vibes at the plate with a triple (1) to right field to lead off the frame. Two batters later, Chase Krogman knocked a ball deep enough into left field to allow Mendoza to score from third on the sacrifice fly.

One inning later, the Wood Ducks capitalized on a one-out single from Mateo, a stolen base, and a passed ball by catcher Richard Garcia to retake the lead, 2-1.

However, it did not take long for the Cannon Ballers to strike back. On the first pitch from Nick Lockhart (W, 1-0), Wilber Sanchez turned on the first pitch of his at-bat to left field, homering (2) to knot the ballgame after three innings of play.

In the fourth and still against Thompson, the Woodies capitalized on three singles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly to scoot ahead of the Ballers, 4-2.

Kannapolis responded with a run of their own just one inning later in the fifth, as Jeremiah Burks reached on a five-pitch walk to lead off the inning. Sanchez then singled with two strikes for one of his three hits on the day, with James Beard following suit with the first of his three hits on a well-placed check swing down the third base line. With bases loaded, Samil Polanco grounded into a force out up the middle, allowing Burks to score the third run of the ballgame for the KCB. With runners at the corners, Bryan Ramos popped up to Keithron Moss at second base to end the Cannon Ballers threat, trailing 4-3.

The Wood Ducks scored three runs in the sixth, one in the seventh, four in the eighth, and two in the ninth to push their lead to 11, up 14-3. After batting around in both the eighth and ninth innings, Down East finished the game with 18 hits, as Kannapolis tallied 10.

The Ballers will look to put an end to their longest losing streak of the season Friday night at Atrium Health Ballpark, with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m.