Late Push Falls Just Short in Kannapolis’ Eighth Consecutive Loss Friday 

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers put up no base runners through seven innings of offense, falling despite a late charge against the Charleston RiverDogs bullpen, 6-4, Friday night at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With the defeat, the Ballers have now lost eight games in a row, going 1-9 in their last 10 and starting the second half with an 0-1 record. Charleston is now 1-0 to start the second half, pushing their record to 13-4 in the month of June.

RHP Ricardo Brizuela got pulled from Friday’s contest with another short leash, tossing 50 pitches in 1.2 innings and having four runs charged to him on six hits. RHP Gabriel Rodriguez followed up Brizuela with two runs allowed on five hits in a 3.1 inning outing, tying the longest relief appearance by a Cannon Baller arm this season. Kannapolis used three more pitchers out of the bullpen in a shutout effort from the trio, including RHP Jack Young, who returned from the injured list earlier this week.

Charleston needed only one inning to tally their six runs of the game, scoring everything in the top of the second. Narciso Polanco drove in the first run on an RBI single, followed up quickly two batters later by a three-RBI double off the bat of Nathan Flewelling. With the 18-year-old catcher on base, Angel Mateo launched his fifth home run of the season to extend the RiverDogs lead to, 6-0, after two frames.

The Ballers broke up a perfect game bid in the eighth inning from RHP Andres Galan, who allowed zero baserunners over his seven perfect frames. Out of the bullpen, the RiverDogs exposed some weaknesses with the Ballers finding their way into a scenario to make a comeback. In the bottom of the eighth, Ryan Burrowes notched Kannapolis’ first run of the game with an RBI groundout, scoring Lyle Miller-Green. Later in the frame, Nathan Archer scored on a wild pitch from Dalton Fowler, making it, 6-2, Charleston.

Archer put Kannapolis in a scenario to push closer to a comeback, smoking a two-RBI single to right field to plate a pair in the bottom of the ninth. The Ballers had the tying run on base but could not materialize in the later portions of the game to fall for their eighth time in a row.

RHP Luis Reyes will take the mound for the fifth of six games this week between the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers and Charleston RiverDogs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., with postgame fireworks scheduled in the team’s second annual Princess Night.

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.