Kannapolis Comes Up Short with Slow Night of Offense in Loss to Crawdads Saturday

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – OF Braden Montgomery crushed his first career home run in the bottom of the first, but a mere two hits over the first seven innings of the game proved to be a hill too steep for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (0-2). The Ballers fell, 6-5, in Saturday’s game with the Hickory Crawdads at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With the loss, the Cannon Ballers fall to a winless 0-2, unable to forage for a series win regardless of Sunday’s result. Hickory jumps to 2-0, one of only two teams in the Carolina League South division who are undefeated.

RHP Luis Reyes (L, 0-1) took the mound for his Cannon Ballers debut Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits, walking one and striking out four. RHP Manuel Veloz and RHP Aric McAtee provided scoreless work out of the bullpen in relief, allowing a combined one hit and striking out three over their 3.2 frames.

Kannapolis picked up an early lead for the first time this season with a two-hit rally. After Caleb Bonemer earned his first Cannon Ballers hit, Montgomery stepped to the plate and crushed his first professional home run into left field. The two-run home run gave Kannapolis a, 2-0, lead after one.

The home side’s lead held for only a short time, with the Crawdads assembling five unanswered runs in the third and seventh innings. Maxton Martin notched four RBI with a two-RBI double, a solo home run and a bases-loaded walk, while Rafe Perich tallied an RBI single and a solo homer of his own to hand Hickory a, 6-2, lead after seven and a half.

The Ballers only earned two hits over the first seven innings of the game, rallying for three runs on a total of three hits in the final two innings. After Javier Mogollon scored on a wild pitch, Montgomery singled to left field to drive in Nick McLain, followed quickly by a George Wolkow sacrifice fly to make it a, 6-5, game in favor of the Crawdads.

Ryan Burrowes put forth some extra effort with a well-hit line drive to left-center field, but was called out at third base on a relay throw in from Hickory’s defenders for the second out of the bottom of the ninth. Despite the late success, the Ballers failed to complete the comeback and dropped their second game in a row.

Kannapolis will look to avoid a series-sweep at the hands of the Hickory Crawdads in the third of three matchups this weekend at Atrium Health Ballpark. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m., with the Ballers selecting LHP Nick Pinto (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to be the starting arm in the first ever Southside Sunday in Kannapolis.

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