Kannapolis starter Grant Umberger and the Cannon Ballers’ bullpen outdueled the RiverDogs staff to take a 2-1 win on Friday night in front of 4,139 fans at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park.
RiverDogs starter Ryan Andrade went toe-to-toe with Umberger, as both starters carried shutouts through five innings.
The Cannon Ballers broke the seal on the game in the top of the sixth, as Caleb Bonemer rolled an RBI single up the middle to open a 1-0 deficit.
The sixth marked Andrade’s final inning, as Tampa Bay’s 2024 seventh-round pick turned in a quality start, striking out five in his six frames. Charleston’s 10 quality starts as a staff lead Single-A.
Charleston responded by breaking Umberger’s shutout in the seventh, as Woo Shin dashed home on a Narciso Polanco sacrifice fly, despite a slight stumble on his way to tag third base.
The tie was short-lived, as Bonemer came through again in the top of the eighth, popping his own sacrifice fly to left field to score the game’s deciding run.
Kannapolis’ win marks the second time this week that Bonemer drove in all Cannon Ballers’ runs in a winning effort, after he drove in three in a 3-0 win on Tuesday.
The RiverDogs brought a noisy crowd to life in the bottom of the ninth with a Connor Hujsak leadoff single. However, rehabbing Kannapolis closer Nick Altermatt closed the comeback window by inducing a game-ending double play.
Ballpark Fun: Fireworks Friday appeared to be in jeopardy according to earlier weather forecasts, but the skies cleared, and it turned out to be a beautiful night at The Joe. Fans were treated to a bevy of exciting and humorous on-field games during the contest. Those include a kid-friendly version of cup-pong and an aggressive knocker balls match that ended with both participants being sent tumbling across the grass in foul territory.
The series continues with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, with first pitch of game one scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Game two will follow approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. It’s Mischief Night at the Joe, as fans will be provided rolls of toilet paper to TP the ballpark at the end of the evening. Tickets are available at RiverDogs.com.