Kannapolis, Carolina Split Thrilling Doubleheader with Pair of 5-4 Results Friday

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – In front of a crowd of over 4,000 at Atrium Health Ballpark on Friday night, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers and Carolina Mudcats split their doubleheader with each team winning, 5-4. The Mudcats took game one, while the Cannon Ballers swiped the second game of the night with a walk-off fielder’s choice ball in play by Lyle Miller-Green.

GAME ONE:

Kannapolis entered the suspended action from Thursday night’s game with a, 1-0, lead, and bounced to a, 3-0, lead in the bottom of the third on a pair of RBI singles from Ronny Hernandez and George Wolkow.

The Mudcats answered in the top of the fourth with a Luis Pena RBI single and a Demetrio Nadal two-RBI double to knot the game at, 3-3. Eric Bitonti singled in the top of the fifth to take a, 4-3, lead.

Calvin Harris put in effort for Kannapolis in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at, 4-4, with an RBI single, scoring Jorge Corona.

The Ballers took the field in the top of the seventh looking to hold onto the lead, but Brewers top prospect Jesus Made made it, 5-4, on a ball in play that resulted in a fielding error. The Mudcats found success from their bullpen arm, LHP Sam Garcia (S, 1) late, who retired all six batters in the final two innings to deal Kannapolis a loss.

GAME TWO:

The Cannon Ballers took the first lead of the second game of Friday’s action with a Lyle Miller-Green solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. Miller-Green’s third homer of the season put Kannapolis in the lead, 1-0, after two.

Starting arm LHP Grant Umberger no-hit the Mudcats over his 3.1 innings in his first start of the season but allowed five walks and struck out three with one run scored by Carolina. Following up Umberger was RHP Morris Austin, who allowed a painful three runs on four hits in 2.1 innings that seemed to demoralize Kannapolis.

Carolina knotted the game in the top of the fourth on a Luis Lameda RBI single, scoring Filippo Di Turi. In the top of the sixth, Tyler Rodriguez drove in a trio of runs with a double down the line in left to push the Mudcats to a, 4-1, lead after five and a half.

Calvin Harris crossed the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning on a wild pitch, putting the Ballers into a two-run deficit.

INF Mikey Kane (W, 1-0) entered as the pitcher for the third time this season, in what would otherwise be considered a sign of surrender. Despite the appearance, Kane worked a shutout 1.1 innings, walking one and allowing one hit, picking up his first ever strikeout in the top of the seventh on an eephus pitch.

With the morale at an all-time high for the Ballers, the Cannon Ballers drew five consecutive walks against LHP Anfernny Reyes, forcing the Mudcats to make another move to their bullpen. With RHP Miles Langhorne on the hill, Lyle Miller-Green hit a hard-hit groundball to Lameda at second, who muffed the play and threw home late, allowing Abraham Nunez to score and hand Kannapolis their second walk-off victory of the season.

RHP Luis Reyes gets his turn on the bump on Saturday night in the fifth of six contests with the Carolina Mudcats this week at Atrium Health Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Single-game tickets, season ticket packages and 10-game mini plans for the 2025 season are available now! Come see the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in their fifth season at Atrium Health Ballpark. Call the Cannon Ballers ticket office at (704) 932-3267 or visitkcballers.comfor more information and to secure your seats today.