The Charleston RiverDogs led from start to finish in a 6-2 win over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Sunday evening. The victory allowed the RiverDogs to win the opening series of the season 2-1. Woo Shin finished with three hits, a home run and two runs batted in to ignite a crowd of 4,023 at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. In the win, the Dogs compiled eight stolen bases, their most in a game since 2022.
Shin’s bid day started with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs he crushed a pitch from Jake Bockenstedt over the wall in left center for the RiverDogs first home run of the season. The left fielder was also at the plate when the home team added to their lead in the third inning. With two outs, Adrian Santana singled and stole second which was followed by an Odalys Peguero walk. Shin singled to center to score Santana and Peguero scored on an errant throw to third base from center fielder Albertsen Asigen.
A sacrifice fly from Narciso Polanco added to the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Charleston (2-1) starter Owen Wild worked 4.0 scoreless innings, including an escape act in his final frame when he left the bases loaded with back-to-back strikeouts.
However, when Kannapolis (1-2) came to the plate against reliever Dalton Fowler in the fifth inning, their offense came alive. Wilber Sanchez worked a leadoff walk and Fowler committed errors in each of the next two at-bats, allowing a run to score and runners to end up at second and third with one out. The southpaw struck out Ronny Hernandez for the second out, but another run crossed the plate on Raudelis Martinez’s throw to first.
Another sacrifice fly, this time from Martinez in the fifth, helped to stabilize the lead at 5-2. Relievers Adam Boucher and Will Stevens were dominant down the stretch to hold the Cannon Ballers off the board for the remainder of the game. Noah Myers added a home run in the eighth inning to reach the final 6-2 score.
Boucher earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings that featured four strikeouts. Stevens collected his first save with 2.0 scoreless frames and a pair of punchouts. Bockenstedt suffered the loss with four runs allowed, three earned, in 4.0 innings on the hill.
The home runs from Shin and Myers were the RiverDogs first extra-base hits of the season. Hernandez was the lone Kannapolis player with two hits.
Ballpark Fun
The first MUSC Health Family Sunday featured a “Dog Dynasty” poster giveaway for the first 1.500 fans 12 and under. Children also had the opportunity to run a lap around the bases following the victory for the first during the 2024 season.
Following an off day on Monday, the RiverDogs will head out on their first road trip to Fayetteville, North Carolina. The Woodpeckers await in a Tuesday night match-up at 6:05 p.m. RHP T.J. Nichols will get the nod for the RiverDogs against a Fayetteville pitcher to be announced
Charleston 6, Kannapolis 2
April 7, 2024
Click here for the box score
Kannapolis (R-H-E): 2-6-1
Charleston (R-H-E): 6-8-3
Win: Boucher (1-0)
Loss: Bockenstedt (0-1)
Save: Stevens (1)
HR: Kannapolis: None
HR: Charleston: Woo Shin (1, 1st inning, 0 on base), Noah Myers (1, 8th inning, 0 on base)
