Six Lead Changes End in Tough 11-9 Loss for Kannapolis Friday Night Against Red Sox

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – In one of the best baseball games seen at Atrium Health Ballpark in 2022, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers lost in heartbreaking fashion, 11-9, on Friday night at Atrium Health Ballpark.

LHP Brooks Gosswein tallied a nice night on the mound, tying a season-high with 6.0 innings of work, allowing three runs on six hits, walking two and striking out four. RHP Jesus Valles relieved Gosswein in the seventh, allowing five hits, four runs, walking none and striking out three.

Benyamin Bailey turned in one of his best nights at the plate all year, kicking off the scoring with an RBI double to right field to put Kannapolis ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning.

Salem answered with the first lead change of the night in the top of the fourth, getting runs on a Yorberto Mejicano RBI triple, followed by back-to-back RBI singles by Bryan Gonzalez and Johnfrank Salazar to give the Red Sox a 3-2 advantage.

The Ballers fought back for a lead in the sixth inning, tying the game on a wild pitch from Luis De La Rosa, followed up by a Colby Smelley RBI double and a Jacob Burke RBI single to push Kannapolis to a 6-3 lead.

The Red Sox never gave up, inching closer with a Darel Belen solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to make it 6-4.

The top of the eighth started the madness between the two sides, with Mejicano cutting the lead to 6-5 on a RBI single, trailed by back-to-back RBI doubles from Daniel McElveny and Salazar, handing Salem a 7-6 lead.

Kannapolis answered with authority in the bottom of the eighth with Burke’s second RBI single. The lead changed yet again, with the Ballers capping off the night of offense with a Benyamin Bailey two-run blast into left field, handing Kannapolis a 9-7 lead going into the ninth.

With Frander Veras (L, 1-2) on the mound, the Red Sox used a trend of base hits and patience to draw three consecutive walks with the bases loaded, going from trailing 9-7, to leading 10-9. Karson Simas completed the scoring streak for Salem with an RBI single to push the Red Sox ahead 11-9 late, with RHP Luis Guerrero (W, 4-3) shutting down the Ballers in the bottom of the ninth.

The fifth of six matchups in total between these two sides will take place on Saturday night at Atrium Health Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., with RHP Hunter Dollander (3-2, 4.11 ERA) getting the start for the Ballers on the mound.

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