Eight Errors Loom Large for Ballers in 12-5 Loss to Mudcats Saturday

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Four batters tallied multi-hit games but the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers could not make it four straight wins, falling to the Carolina Mudcats 12-5 on Saturday night at Atrium Health Ballpark.

RHP Matt Thompson got the start for Kannapolis on the bump. The No.3 prospect in the White Sox organization struggled to put it together on the mound, allowing five hits and six runs over his 1.1 innings of work, striking out two and walking four before exiting with an injury. RHP Kevin Folman entered in relief, unable to turn the tide on the hill, allowing five hits and three runs in 1.2 innings, striking out two and walking one.

Carolina opened the scoring in the top of the first on a Noah Campbell RBI single that scored Gabe Holt to make it 1-0 early for the Mudcats.

Jose “Popeye” Rodriguez answered in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the first with a solo shot to left field, knotting the game at 1-1.

The wheels fell off the wagon for the Ballers in the top of the second when the Mudcats went on an offensive outburst. After two walks and a single, Joe Gray Jr. smacked a line drive into right field that allowed all three runners to cross the plate, making it 4-1. Noah Campbell followed with an RBI single to left field that brought Gray Jr. home, expanding the lead to 5-1 Mudcats. Three batters later, Alex Hall added an RBI single of his own to score Campbell.

Andre Nnebe continued the inning with another RBI single, letting Zavier Warren score from third base, growing the lead to 7-1. The very next batter Daniel Castillo put a ball into play that resulted in another run for Carolina on a fielder’s choice, rounding out the six-hit, seven-run top of the second inning for the Mudcats with the score at 8-1.

Felix Valerio contributed with one of his three hits on the night with an RBI double in the top of the third, bringing Warren across for the second time, continuing the night of offense for Carolina and ballooning the lead to 9-1 Mudcats.

LHP Brendan Murphy began the evening on the bump for Carolina and provided an efficient night. The southpaw from Illinois turned in five innings, allowing five hits, three runs, and four walks while striking out two Ballers. RHP Miguel Guerrero relieved Murphy in the sixth inning and looked even better, tossing three innings, allowing five hits, two runs, two walks, and four strikeouts.

Kannapolis got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Murphy walked Ivan Gonzalez with the bases loaded, shrinking the deficit to 9-2.

Luis Mieses tallied his second sacrifice fly RBI in as many nights in the bottom of the fifth, driving in Bryan Ramos from third base to chip away again, lessening the lead to 9-3, advantage Carolina.

The Mudcats ensured a comeback would not be in order, scoring again in the top of the sixth on a Castillo sacrifice fly, allowing Valerio to cross the plate to make it 10-3.

Warren and Valerio continued their hot nights at the dish in the top of the eighth. Warren reached base on one of eight Cannon Ballers errors, letting Castillo score on the play. Valerio followed suit with an RBI single, permitting Holt to grab his third run of the ballgame, growing the advantage to 12-3 Mudcats.

Caberea Weaver refused to give up, crushing a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning off Guerrero to shrink the Carolina lead to 12-5.

Tickets can be purchased for any of the remaining home games including Sunday’s matchup versus the Mudcats at kcballers.com or at the F&M Bank Box Office located at Atrium Health Ballpark.