Beltre's Walk-Off Double Lifts Kannapolis to 7-6 Victory

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. - The Kannapolis Intimidators (25-25, 53-65) battled back and forth with the Greensboro Grasshoppers (26-23, 70-48) all Monday night, but got the last laugh in the bottom of the tenth with a walk-off double from Ramon Beltre to win 7-6.
After Kevin Folman got the first batter of the game out in the top of the first, Jonah Davis launched the first pitch he saw off the scoreboard (15) to give the Grasshoppers a 1-0 lead.
Davis struck again in the top of the third. With one out, he doubled to center and drove in Grant Koch to extend Greensboro's lead to 2-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Intimidators finally got things going with a big inning. Romy Gonzalez walked and Tyler Osik doubled to begin the inning and put runners on second and third. Amado Nunez then singled to score Gonzalez. Michael Hickman singled to score Osik and tie the game at 2-2. Beltre followed that up with a single to score Nunez and take the 3-2 lead. Finally, Lenyn Sosa singled as well to score Hickman and extend the lead to 4-2.
The lead didn't last long for Kannapolis. Michael Gretler hit a two-out triple off the wall in left field that drove in two runs and tied the score up at 4-4 in the top of the fifth.
After getting the striking out the last batter in the inning, Folman's day came to an end. In those five innings, he allowed five hits, four earned, struck out five, and walked three. J.B. Olson came in for relief in the sixth inning.
After pitching a clean inning in the sixth, Olson ran into some trouble in the top of the seventh. Davis continued his hot day at the plate by leading off that inning with a double for the Grasshoppers. Ji-hwan Bae then struck out, but a passed ball allowed him to get on base and put two on. Jack Herman singled on the next at-bat and brought Davis in to score and take the 5-4 lead.
Lane Ramsey (W, 4-6) entered the game for Olson in the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings to bring the game to the bottom of the ninth.
Ramon Beltre led the bottom of the ninth off with a double, and then stole third. Sosa brought Beltre in with a single, and then Destino and Gonzalez were hit on back-to-back at-bats to load the bases with one out. Alfredo Reyes (BS, 1) then struck out the next two batters and sent things into extra innings.
An error from Gonzalez on a throw to first base allowed Jake Herman to score for Greensboro and take a 6-5 lead in the top of the tenth.
With two runners on in the bottom of the tenth, Ramon Beltre doubled to center field, bringing in Nunez and Hickman to give Kannapolis the 7-6, walk-off win.
Kannapolis will continue their series with Greensboro on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. Sam Long (6-4, 3.53 ERA) will get the ball for the Intimidators against Alex Manasa (8-3, 3.59 ERA) for the Grasshoppers.