Intimidators blow by Grasshoppers, win 9-3
The Kannapolis Intimidators (26-15) scored two-runs in four separate innings throughout the game, including one run in the third to ease their way by the Greensboro Grasshoppers (19-22) Tuesday night 9-3 at First National Bank Field.After back-to-back strikeouts for Greensboro's Trevor Rogers (L, 0-1) to begin the first inning, Craig
The Kannapolis Intimidators (26-15) scored two-runs in four separate innings throughout the game, including one run in the third to ease their way by the Greensboro Grasshoppers (19-22) Tuesday night 9-3 at First National Bank Field.
After back-to-back strikeouts for Greensboro's Trevor Rogers (L, 0-1) to begin the first inning, Craig Dedelow drew a walk after a six-pitch at-bat, followed by a Tate Blackman RBI double to right field, giving the I's a quick 1-0 lead. Next up and with two strikes on him, Anthony Villa smacked a single up the middle, scoring Blackman who was going on the pitch with two outs to give Blake Battenfield (W, 4-1) a two-run cushion.
The Kannapolis offense stayed hot in the third inning, as Blackman drew a five-pitch walk and then stole second base for his second swipe of the season, despite a Villa strikeout. With Evan Skoug up at the plate, the left-handed hitter hit a single on a groundball up the middle, scoring Blackman to give the visiting team a 3-0 advantage through three innings.
The I's showed the Grasshoppers' fans why they are the best hitting team in the South Atlantic League with a team .281 batting average, as Dedelow hit a one-out single to left field, bringing up Blackman. On a 1-1 pitch, the former Ole Miss second baseman reached on an infield single to second base, putting runners at first for Villa.
After a flyout off the bat of Villa, allowing Dedelow to tag up and go to third, Skoug hit a groundball to Marcos Rivera, as the shortstop misplayed it, bringing in Dedelow for the I's fourth run. Just one batter later, Kannapolis increased their lead to five after
After cruising through four innings on the bump, allowing only one hit, Battenfield issued one walk and gave up two hits in the fifth, highlighted by a Thomas Jones double that cut the Kannapolis lead to three, now 5-2.
With no harm being done to either team in the sixth, Blackman and Villa blasted back-to-back bombs to left-center off R.J. Peace Jr, increasing their lead to five, 7-2.
After six solid innings, giving up only four hits and striking out eight batters, Battenfield tossed the ball over to Jake Elliot for the next two innings. The Intimidators tagged on two more runs in the eighth inning after a couple walks and hits, giving Kannapolis the 9-3 win, snapping their two-game losing skid.
The Intimidators and Grasshopper swill play an early 12:00 p.m. game Wednesday morning in game three of the four-game series.