Polanco Homers For Ballers in Loss to Hillcats

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Samil Polanco tallied his fifth home run of the season, but the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers pitching staff issued 12 walks on the night, leading to a 13-1 loss to the Lynchburg Hillcats Tuesday night at Atrum Health Ballpark.

RHP Martin Carrasco (L, 1-6) began the evening on the mound for the Ballers, unable to find success early. The righty from Tijuana, Mexico walked two and struck out three, allowing seven hits and four runs. RHP Tyson Messer relieved Carrasco in the fifth, delivering an inning and a third of no-hit baseball, but allowed the former Campbell arm allowed three runs on three walks, accumulating one punchout along the way.

RHP Brauny Munoz (W, 4-3) started on the hill for the Hillcats, working six innings, allowing one run on two hits, walking one and striking out nine Ballers at the dish. RHP Daritzon Feliz relieved Munoz in the seventh, tossing one shutout inning and striking out two.

Lynchburg used a flurry of walks and defensive lapses from the Cannon Ballers to find their success at the plate in Tuesday’s ballgame. The Hillcats scored first in the top of the second, getting three runs on an Andres Melendez RBI single, an RBI double by Yordys Valdes, and an Angel Martinez RBI groundout.

Polanco’s home run was the lone source of offense for Kannapolis, coming in the bottom of the second via a long fly ball to right center field to make it 3-1 in favor of the visiting Hillcats.

Alexfri Planez tallied an RBI groundout in the top of the third to grow the Lynchburg lead to 4-1, a lead that would not change hands the rest of the ballgame.

The Hillcats found a multitude of runs in the top of the sixth beginning with a Martinez sacrifice fly. Miguel Jerez quickly followed with a hit by pitch that allowed a run to score. The four-run inning was capped off with a Gabriel Rodriguez two-RBI single to expand the Lynchburg lead to 8-1.

Valdes notched a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh to make it 9-1 in favor of the Hillcats, getting followed up quickly by a bases-loaded walk of Jerez to grow the lead to 10-1.

Three more runs in the top of the eighth and ninth crossed the plate with two in the eighth and one in the ninth. Martinez’s third and fourth RBIs made it 12-1 on an RBI single, with Jerez’s third RBI coming in the ninth on a solo shot, capping off the Lynchburg explosion of offense at 13-1.

The Cannon Ballers will be back in action on Wednesday night in the second of six matchups this week with the Hillcats. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. RHP Matt Thompson (1-7, 6.96 ERA) gets the start for Kannapolis, with Lynchburg expected to send RHP Jordan Jones (3-6, 4.50 ERA) to the bump.

Tickets can be purchased for any remaining home games at kcballers.com or at the F&M Bank Box Office located at Atrium Health Ballpark.