Comeback Effort Falls Short in Ninth as Ballers Fall to Augusta Friday

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers had multiple opportunities to take a lead in Friday’s game against the Augusta GreenJackets, but miscues and untimely offense dealt Kannapolis their first home loss of the season, 6-4, at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With the loss, Kannapolis falls to 4-3 on the season, still in the mix in the Carolina League South Division. Augusta snaps a four-game losing streak with their win Friday, jumping to 3-4 in the early 2024 season.

RHP Seth Keener struggled with command early, walking five batters in four innings while allowing two runs on four hits, striking out three. RHP Emerson Talavera cleaned up some of the mess in his two innings in relief, allowing one run on one hit, walking one in his second outing of the season.

Robert Gonzalez walked with the bases loaded in the top of the first to get the scoring started in the game, with Augusta taking the early, 1-0, lead.

Kannapolis answered back quickly in the bottom of the first, getting a run on the board in the bottom of the first on a Caden Connor RBI groundout, tying the game at, 1-1, after one.

Wasting no time, Augusta jumped back out ahead in the second with a Luis Sanchez RBI groundout to take a, 2-1, lead.

Another run crossed the plate in the top of the sixth inning when Jacob Godman scored on a wild pitch from Talavera to hand the GreenJackets an insurance run at, 3-1.

The Ballers fought to stay in the game, breaking through in the bottom of the sixth with a Ronny Hernandez bases-loaded walk to inch closer to, 3-2.

After RHP Billy Seidl entered for the Cannon Ballers on the mound, Augusta added a trio of runs from a Gonzalez RBI groundout and a Cam Magee two-RBI single to jump ahead, 6-2, after seven innings.

The eighth and ninth innings had opportunities for the Ballers to make a comeback, with Rikuu Nishida scoring on a wild pitch and an Edrick Felix RBI groundout in the bottom of the eighth slicing Augusta’s lead to, 6-4. The ninth resulted in two singles to lead off the inning, but the Ballers failed to complete the comeback, falling for the first time at home in 2024.

LHP Lucas Gordon gets the ball for Kannapolis Saturday in the fifth of six games on the week at Atrium Health Ballpark against the Augusta GreenJackets. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m., with postgame fireworks planned for all fans to enjoy.

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