Kannapolis Completes Unthinkable Comeback in Win over Charleston Tuesday

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers walked-off the Charleston RiverDogs, 8-7, with a seven-run bottom of the ninth to complete a miraculous comeback Tuesday night at Atrium Health Ballpark.

With the win, the Ballers move to 5-11 on the season, winning three of their last five. Charleston drops to .500 with an 8-8 record in the early season, locked in the midst of a closely contested Carolina League South division.

RHP Max Banks finished with another good start, going four innings, allowing five hits, two runs, one earned, walking two batters and striking out four. RHP Daniel Wright entered in the fifth inning, giving the Ballers two innings of work, allowing three hits, two runs and punching out one RiverDog batter. RHP Marco Barrios appeared next out of the bullpen, tossing 1.2 innings, giving up no hits and an unearned run with a walk and a strikeout. RHP Landen Payne (W, 1-0) earned the win in his sixth appearance. Payne put together 1.1 frames, giving up three hits and two runs.

The RiverDogs struck for all the offense early, scoring the first four runs of the game. Cooper Flemming singled in the first to start the evening to drive a run in, with Taitn Gray adding an RBI single in the top of the third. Brailer Guerrero and Alberth Palma added offense in the top of the sixth to make it, 4-0, Charleston after six innings at the plate against Kannapolis pitching.

Abraham Nunez answered with his second home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth, launching a no-doubt home run to make it, 4-1, visitors after six.

Caden Bodine and Dean Moss notched what were initially insurance runs in the seventh and ninth with on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single to put the RiverDogs up, 7-1, headed into the bottom of the ninth.

Kannapolis met difficult circumstances with resilience, putting runners on to allow Matthew Boughton to drive home the first run of the inning with his first hit as Baller, a double to right-center. Arxy Hernandez continued the fun with a single into right field, scoring Boughton to make it, 7-3. With the bases juiced later in the inning, Nunez delivered a two-run single into shallow center field that made it just a, 7-5 ballgame.

The go-ahead run, Billy Carlson, singled to right field to continue the inning, setting up Stiven Flores for his fourth hit of the game to tie the affair at, 7-7. With Carlson just 90 feet away, Javier Mogollon rocketed a single down the third base line to give the Ballers their first walk-off of the season.

The Ballers have a quick turnaround as first pitch is set for 11:00 A.M. Wednesday for the second Education Day of the season at Atrium Health Ballpark. RHP Truman Pauley is scheduled to make his fourth start of the season for Kannapolis.

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.