Q’s Rally for Nine Runs on 16 Hits in Third Straight Win over RiverDogs

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Powered by a four-run second inning and a steady slew of offense, the Kannapolis Q’s cruised past the Charleston RiverDogs, 9-4, for their third win of the week Thursday night at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With the win, Kannapolis moves to 10-7, becoming the third team to reach the double-digit wins mark in the Carolina League South division. Charleston falls to 6-11 with the loss Thursday, losers of their last six games.

RHP Aldrin Batista (W, 2-0) turned in another outstanding performance, striking out six in five innings, earning his second win of the season on the mound. It is the third of as many outings on the year for Batista in which he struck out at least five in at least five innings. In relief, LHP Frankeli Arias endured a hard-charging RiverDogs offense in the seventh inning, allowing three runs in his two innings of work.

Charleston earned the first run of the ballgame in the top of the second inning on a Bryan Broecker RBI single, scoring Woo Shin to make it, 1-0, advantage Charleston.

Top Rays pitching prospect Santiago Suarez made it through a clean first inning but struggled in his second and final inning of work, allowing four runs by the Q’s. Arxy Hernandez notched his sixth RBI of the season on an RBI groundout to tie the game at, 1-1. Just one batter later, Ronny Hernandez drove in Albertson Asigen on an RBI single to take a, 2-1, lead in favor of the home side. Rikuu Nishida notched two RBI to complete the inning with a two-RBI single, scoring Ronny Hernandez and Luis Pineda to push the Q’s lead to, 4-1, after two innings.

Ronny Hernandez’s big night at the plate continued, tallying an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth to extend the Kannapolis lead to, 5-1, after five.

Ryan Galanie joined in on the fun in the bottom of the sixth, crushing an RBI triple to make it a, 6-1, Kannapolis lead. Two batters later, Caden Connor doubled down the line in left field to score Galanie, extending the Q’s lead to a game-high, 7-1, advantage.

The RiverDogs pushed for a trio of runs in the top of the seventh, scoring the three runs on a Carlos Colmenarez two-RBI triple and an Angel Mateo RBI double off Arias to crunch the home lead to, 7-4, after six and a half.

Nishida and Eddie Park handed the Q’s a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh, extending the lead to, 9-4, with a pair of RBI singles.

RHP Garrett Wright entered the game in the eighth inning on the mound for the Q’s, striking out three to shut down the RiverDogs and give Kannapolis the victory.

RHP Seth Keener gets the start for the home side in the fourth of six games between Kannapolis and Charleston. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. at Atrium Health Ballpark, with Kannapolis wearing their Q’s uniforms for the second of three games in the alternate look of the series.

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