Late Runs Help Q’s Lock in Fourth Win of Week over Charleston Saturday

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Trailing for just a half inning of baseball on Saturday night, the Kannapolis Q’s kept their tails curly and snouts wet in a tightly-contested matchup, winning, 4-2, over the Charleston RiverDogs at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With the win, Kannapolis moves to 11-8 on the season, keeping pace with the rest of the Carolina League South Division contenders. The win also clinches Kannapolis’ first series victory of the year, their fourth win of their last five. Charleston falls to 7-12 with the defeat, slipping to 3-7 in their last 10 games and just 3-8 on the road.

LHP Lucas Gordon tossed another gem on the mound Saturday, striking out six in 4.2 innings of work, walking three and allowing two runs on four hits. RHP Mark McLaughlin (W, 1-1) tossed his best career outing in professional baseball, shutting out the RiverDogs over 2.1 innings and striking out three.

Charleston scored the first two runs of the game in the top of the fifth on a Narciso Polanco RBI double and a Tre’ Morgan RBI single to make it, 2-0, RiverDogs after four and a half innings.

Answering quickly and with emphasis, Ryan Galanie tied the ballgame in the bottom of the fifth with one swing of the bat on a two-RBI double to score Javier Mora and Rikuu Nishida. The base-knock handed Kannapolis momentum and a, 2-2, score after five.

Luis Pineda gave the Q’s the lead in the bottom of the sixth, notching an RBI double to score Arxy Hernandez and offer Kannapolis their first lead of the night at, 3-2, after six.

A wild pitch from Charleston’s RHP Will Stevens gifted Kannapolis an insurance run when Eddie Park crossed the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning to extend the lead to, 4-2. The lead proved to be too much for the RiverDogs, with RHP Jesus Mendez entering to earn his third save of the year.

Construction Day festivities will be craned into Atrium Health Ballpark for the series finale on Sunday at Atrium Health Ballpark between the Cannon Ballers and RiverDogs. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., with RHP Jake Bockenstedt getting the start for Kannapolis.

Fans can purchase tickets for Sunday’s game or any remaining home games at kcballers.com or at the F&M Bank Box Office located at Atrium Health Ballpark.