Jackets Fall to Cannon Ballers on Walk-Off Double
For Immediate Release: GreenJackets Media Contact: Noah Adcock-Howeth (803) 349-9411 [email protected] Jackets Fall to Cannon Ballers on Walk-Off Double Early Lead Not Enough as Augusta Squanders Series Opener KANNAPOLIS, NC: Down to their final inning, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers blasted three hits in four batters to unseat the GreenJackets and
For Immediate Release:
GreenJackets Media Contact:
Noah Adcock-Howeth
(803) 349-9411
Jackets Fall to Cannon Ballers on Walk-Off Double
Early Lead Not Enough as Augusta Squanders Series Opener
KANNAPOLIS, NC: Down to their final inning, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers blasted three hits in four batters to unseat the GreenJackets and cultivate a walk-off win in the series opener at Atrium Health Ballpark.
A pitchers’ duel from the start, neither Augusta nor Kannapolis could get much offensive footing as starters Brett Sears and Ricardo Brizuela duel back and forth. Each had one rocky inning and nothing more, while both men posted their longest outings of the season.
Making his first start since Opening Weekend, Sears flashed dominant stuff, working 5 one-run innings with a career-high 9 Ks, the most by a ‘Jackets pitcher in a single game this year. Sears’ only blemish came in the 2nd, as Calvin Harris poked a two-out single to extend the inning, and Miguel Santos whacked a run-scoring double towards the fence for an early Cannon Baller lead.
Brizuela faced the minimum through three hitless innings, but fell apart in his 2nd trip through the order. After John Gil led off the 4thwith a hustle double, Eric Hartman came up big with an RBI triple to deep right. The swing proved more helpful than expected, as Kannapolis’ relay throw bounded into the dugout to score Hartman. Isaiah Drake would add to the lead immediately, tripling himself than scoring on a wild pitch.
Neither side would score in the next few frames, until Sears gave way to reliever Albert Rivas in the 6th. Rivas received a rude welcome to the game, as Abraham Nunez lifted the first pitch of the day over the shallow wall in right-center for his first pro homer. Rivas would right the ship, and he combined with newcomer Justin Long for 9 outs without another hit.
Augusta’s offense withered down the stretch, as the Jackets did not muster another run after the 4th, and did not produce a hit against either reliever used by the Ballers across three innings. The combination set the stage for Jacob Gomez to take the ball in the 9th, looking for his 2nd pro save.
Gomez immediately ran into trouble, giving up a leadoff squib single to Javier Mogollon to put the tying run aboard. Mogollon advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch and 3rd on a groundout, before dashing home to tie the game on a bloop single from Lyle Miller-Green that Drake lost in the lights. Kannapolis brought Ryan Burrowes in to pinch run, and he came all the way around on the next at bat as Harris yanked a double to the gap that scored Burrowes and sent the home fans out happy.
The GreenJackets fall to 13-9 on the year, and have now lost seven of their last ten games in Kannapolis since the beginning of last year. Augusta also loses its first game of the year in which they were winning after seven innings, ending a streak of 12 straight games. Tomorrow, Augusta and Kannapolis play an 11:00 Education Day Game, with Luke Sinnard taking on strikeout-heavy lefty Christian Oppor.
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