By: RiverDogs Media
Despite a valiant effort, the Charleston RiverDogs could not overcome an early five-run deficit, falling 6-4 at the hands of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Sunday evening at Atrium Health Ballpark. The loss snapped the team’s eight-game winning streak and gave Kannapolis their only win of the six-game series.
The Cannon Ballers (16-37) jumped on Trey Cumbie, who was making his first start of the season, in the early going. Jose Rodriguez opened the bottom of the first inning with a double and Samil Polanco followed by legging out a broken-bat infield single. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, allowing Luis Mieses to drive in two runs with a roller through the left side.
Rodriguez was at the heart of another multi-run inning for Kannapolis in the second. Chase Krogman worked a free pass at the outset of the frame and was joined on base by Victor Torres after he singled. Rodriguez blasted a three-run home run in the next at bat to increase the lead to 5-0. The long ball was his sixth of the season.
The RiverDogs (36-16) scored their first run of the night in the third inning when Jonathan Embry and Alexander Ovalles hit back-to-back doubles with one out. However, the Cannon Ballers pushed the lead back to five on an RBI single from Bryan Ramos in the fourth.
Trailing 6-1, the RiverDogs closed the gap in the middle innings. Heriberto Hernandez drove in Garrett Hiott with a single in the fifth to close within 6-2. In the sixth, RBI groundouts from Nick Schnell and Hiott made it 6-4. Charleston brought the tying run to the plate in both the seventh and ninth innings, but could not do any more damage.
Andrew Gross worked the final two innings out of the RiverDogs bullpen, extending his scoreless innings streak to 30.1. He is two outs away from the longest scoreless streak in Minor League Baseball this season. Cumbie took the loss after allowing five runs in 2.0 innings. Seth Johnson tossed 4.0 innings in middle relief and allowed one run on four hits while striking out four.
The RiverDogs were outhit 13-10 on the night. Abiezel Ramirez and Brett Wisely each collected two hits. Curtis Mead extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the first inning. For Kannapolis, Rodriguez went 3-5 with two doubles, a home run and three runs batted in.
Following an off day on Monday, the RiverDogs will head to Columbia’s Segra Park to battle the Columbia Fireflies. The first game of the series will get underway at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday night.
All RiverDogs games are broadcast worldwide on riverdogs.com. A television broadcast of all 60 home games during the 2021 season will also be available via MiLB.TV. Games are also available on the MiLB First Pitch app.
RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are now available for the 2021 campaign at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). A full schedule for the 2021 season is available at riverdogs.com.
