Fitzwater’s Home Run Makes Difference to Even Series for Ballers Friday

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers fended off a late surge of offense from the Hickory Crawdads, bolting down game four of the series with a, 4-3, win Friday night at Atrium Health Ballpark.

RHP Fabian Ysalla (W, 1-0) notched his first professional win behind five solid innings of work. Ysalla allowed six hits, two runs, walking one and striking out one. RHP Marco Barrios tossed 1.2 scoreless innings in relief, punching out one Crawdad. RHP Daniel Wright then worked 1.1 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out one in a scoreless effort. LHP Grant Cleavinger (S, 1) picked up his first career save in the ninth, allowing just two hits and one run but still striking out the side.

The Ballers opened the scoring for the fourth straight game. After Jaden Fauske reached on a leadoff double, Stiven Flores drove him in with an RBI double to get the offense rolling, 1-0, over Hickory.

In the bottom of the second, Crew McChesney tacked on another run with an RBI groundout to double the Kannapolis lead at, 2-0. Flores struck again in the bottom of the third with another RBI double to deep center field for his second double and second run driven in of the night to push the home side ahead, 3-0.

Hickory answered back in the top of the fourth. Deward Tovar made it a one-run contest for the second time this week with a two-run home run to right field. Tovar’s 15th home run of the season cut the deficit to, 3-2, for the visitors.

Grayson Fitzwater proved to be the difference in the bottom of the fifth for the Ballers. The former VMI power bat demolished a solo home run off the batter’s eye in the bottom of the fifth for his third home run in as many weeks for Kannapolis. Fitzwater’s longball pushed the home side ahead, 4-3, after five frames.

The Crawdads rallied late for the second time this series with a Josh Springer RBI double in the top of the ninth inning, but the comeback attempt sputtered out on a trio of Cleavinger strikeouts.

The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers bring back Starry Night to Kannapolis in game five of their series against the Hickory Crawdads Saturday night. LHP Nick Pinto gets the start, with first pitch at 7:00 p.m.

The 2026 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers season is underway at Atrium Health Ballpark! Single-game tickets, season ticket packages, group experiences and 10-game mini plans for the 2026 season are available for purchase now. Call the Cannon Ballers ticket office at (704) 932-3267 or visit kcballers.com for more information.