Pitching Woes Continue for Intimidators in 15-7 Loss

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. - The Kannapolis Intimidators (11-10, 39-50) finished off their series with the Greensboro Grasshoppers (12-8, 56-33) Thursday night with a 15-7 loss, giving up 14 hits and tallying five errors.
The first of many runs on Thursday night for the Grasshoppers came in the top of the first. After a couple Kannapolis errors, Connor Kaiser hit a two-run homerun (8) to score him and Ji-Hwan Bae to take a 2-0 lead.
Kannapolis did manage to take the lead back for a period in the bottom of the second. Corey Zangari scored on an Amado Nunez groundout to get on the board. One batter later, Ramon Beltre hit a two-run home run scoring Michael Hickman to take a 3-2 lead.
Immediately in the next frame, Jonah Davis homered and scored Kaiser to give the Grasshoppers the lead back, 4-3.
Alex Destino quickly tied things back up in the bottom of the third with a single that scored Andrew Vaughn.
Once Greensboro took the lead again, they didn't look back. In the top of the fourth, Kyle Mottice grounded into a force out that scored Michael Gretler. Justin Harrer then stole home on a throw down to second base. To cap off the inning, Kaiser singled and scored Mottice. After four, the Grasshoppers held a 7-4 lead.
Four innings would also be the end of Davis Martin's (L, 5-8) day. He gave up nine hits, seven earned, and struck out four. Wyatt Burns came in for relief.
The Intimidators looked to have a little life in them in the bottom of the fifth. Alex Destino tallied one of his three hits (and two of his four RBI) on the day with a single to right that scored Ian Dawkins and Johan Cruz to cut the deficit to 7-6. It was also Destino's 13^th straight game with a hit.
In the top of the sixth, Greensboro extended their lead by a run due to a Kyle Mottice hit that scored Bae, giving them an 8-6 lead.
It wasn't until the top of the seventh that things completely fell apart for the Intimidators. Between three different Kannapolis pitchers, the Grasshoppers managed three hits, five walks, and a hit-by-pitch to put up seven runs in the seventh inning and take a 15-6 lead.
Destino's big day did continue in the bottom of that frame when he once again scored Vaughn with a single to put things at 15-7.
Not only was Destino one of the few bright spots at the plate for Kannapolis, he also made his third appearance on the mound this season and threw a scoreless inning in the top of the ninth, including one backwards strikeout.
The Intimidators begin a new series Friday night with the Rome Braves. Taylor Varnell (5-3, 3.18 ERA) will get the ball for the Intimidators.