Kannapolis, NC – For the second consecutive game, the Charleston RiverDogs scored a season-high 14 runs to rout the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 14-5 on Wednesday night at Atrium Health Park. The victory keeps the RiverDogs in play for a first-half title entering the final day of the half.
The RiverDogs, now a season-best three games above .500 (34-31), need both a win and losses from Augusta and Columbia to clinch the playoff berth tomorrow.
Kannapolis claimed an early lead, tallying an unearned run in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. A Miguel Santos RBI double in the second frame made it 2-0.
The RiverDogs offense began to churn in the fourth inning, as Angel Mateo scored on an error to get the ‘Dogs on the board against Kannapolis starter Grant Umberger. However, the Cannon Ballers responded with a two-out RBI single from Abraham Nunez in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-1 Kannapolis.
Charleston seized command of the contest in the top of the fifth inning.
Following a leadoff single from Jose Monzon, Narciso Polanco lined an RBI triple. After a strikeout, Connor Hujsak smoked his own RBI triple to tie the game at three.
An RBI single from Nathan Flewelling put the RiverDogs in the driver’s seat, 4-3. Angel Mateo doubled to set up a Woo Shin sacrifice fly, followed by an RBI double from Ricardo Gonzalez that put the finishing touch on a five-run, six-hit inning.
RiverDogs starter Trevor Harrison lined himself up for the win in the bottom of the fifth, escaping a bases-loaded jam. Harrison finished his outing with five strikeouts, charged for two earned runs.
The RiverDogs grew the lead to 7-3 as Theo Gillen scored on a wild pitch in the sixth.
Kannapolis threatened to get back into the contest in the bottom of the sixth, as Ronny Hernandez poked a 2-RBI double to trim the lead to 7-5. Kaleb Corbett stopped the damage there, stranding Hernandez on second with a strikeout and then working a 1-2-3 seventh.
Charleston wound up scoring in each of the final six innings of the contest.
After a bases-loaded walk and a balk pushed in two more runs in the seventh, the RiverDogs rallied for four runs in the eighth, swelling the lead to 13-5. Gonzalez lined an RBI single for his fourth hit of the night in the inning, and Yirer Garcia followed with an RBI double.
Kannapolis tabbed their DH, Mikey Kane, to pitch the final inning and a third. He allowed a sacrifice fly to Flewelling in the top of the ninth that rounded out the scoring.
All nine RiverDogs in the lineup tallied a hit, as the team set a new season high with 17 knocks.
The final game of the first half is set for 7:00 pm tomorrow in Kannapolis. The RiverDogs return home to open a nine-game homestand on Tuesday.