Kannapolis, NC - The Charleston RiverDogs watched the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers score the last four runs in a 4-2 loss at Atrium Health Ballpark on Saturday night. The final two runs for the Cannon Ballers crossed the plate with the aid of just two hits. The RiverDogs have dropped four of the five games in the series.
The RiverDogs (7-12) broke open a scoreless draw with four hits in the fifth inning. Cristopher Barete doubled to left center with one out and scored on an ensuing double from leadoff hitter Narciso Polanco. Before the inning ended, Tre’ Morgan singled to center, scoring Polanco, and giving the RiverDogs a 2-0 advantage.
Kannapolis (11-8) came back to tie the score quickly in the bottom of the frame. Owen Wild was rolling through 4.2 scoreless innings but struggled to get the final out. Javier Mora beat out an infield single on a chopper to third and advanced to second on a throwing error by Ricardo Gonzalez. Rikuu Nishida followed with a walk and Ryan Galanie took advantage by driving in both with a double to the wall in left.
The bottom of the sixth inning took a turn for the worse after Polanco had a broken bat roller from Arxy Hernandez trickled under his glove for an error. He moved to second on a Dalton Fowler wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run on a double off the bat Luis Pineda.
Kannapolis added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth against Will Stevens. Eddie Park reached base to begin the inning when Stevens slipped trying to field his tapper in front of the plate. A wild pitch advanced Park to second and a groundball allowed him to move to third. Another wild pitch from Stevens brought Park home with the final run of the night.
Galanie went 2-4 with two doubles and two RBI to lead all hitters. Hernandez also tallied a pair of hits. The RiverDogs received two of their five hits from Morgan.
Fowler took the loss by allowing an unearned run in 2.0 innings of work out of the pen. Wild went 5.0 solid innings, surrendering two runs in 5.0 frames with four strikeouts.
The teams will close the series on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. RHP Chandler Murphy (0-0, 1.69) will have the assignment on the mound for the RiverDogs. Kannapolis will turn to RHP Jake Bockenstedt (0-2, 4.32) for his second start against the Dogs.
The RiverDogs continue their hunt for a fourth-consecutive Carolina League championship in 2024. The full schedule of games is available here.
Kannapolis 4, Charleston 2
April 27, 2024
Click here for the box score
Charleston (R-H-E): 2-5-2
Kannapolis (R-H-E): 4-8-0
Win: McLaughlin (1-1)
Loss: Fowler (0-1)
Save: Mendez (3)
HR: Charleston: None
HR: Kannapolis: None
