Kannapolis shakes up Augusta with nine runs in third inning of Friday win

July 19, 2024 – Carolina League (CarL)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Press Release

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Aldrin Batista tied a season-high with six innings pitched and George Wolkow collected four RBIs in the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers’ 13-3 win over the Augusta GreenJackets at Atrium Health Ballpark on Friday night.

With the win, Kannapolis moves to 51-37 on the season, 10-12 in the second half. The GreenJackets fall to 9-12 in the second half of the Carolina League season, 36-50 for the year.

Batista, the No. 25 overall pick in the White Sox organization, allowed two runs on four hits, one walk and no strikeouts. RHP Carson Jacobs made his Atrium Health Ballpark debut as a reliever, striking out four in two shutout innings and allowing just one baserunner in a walk.

Arxy Hernandez’s first of two RBI of the game gave the Ballers an early 1-0 lead in the first inning with a sacrifice fly. Hernandez now leads the active roster in RBI with 39 on the season after his pair on Friday.

Augusta scored in the second inning with a solo homerun by Will Verdung, tying the score at 1-1 after two innings.

The Ballers scored an impressive nine runs in the bottom of the third, opening their huge inning with a Wilber Sanchez two-RBI single. With Hernandez coming up next, one of the GreenJackets’ four errors that night accounted for two runs, making it 5-1. A few batters later, with the bases loaded, Wolkow hit a bases-clearing RBI double to extend the lead to 8-1, Kannapolis. Albertson Asigen capped off the effort in the third with an RBI single, then a score on a wild pitch to end the inning at 10-1, Cannon Ballers.

Wolkow crossed the plate for the second time in the fifth inning, scoring on an errant throw by the Augusta catcher to give Kannapolis an 11-1 lead after five innings.

John Gil answered for the GreenJackets in his debut, hitting a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth to score Cam Magee. The RBI brought Augusta closer, 11-2, after the top of the sixth.

Kannapolis’ nightly onslaught ended with a pair in the sixth, with Hernandez adding another run on a groundball RBI double, followed by a Wolkow RBI single later in the inning. The pair of scores for the Cannon Ballers made it 13-2 after two-thirds of the game.

Verdung’s second RBI of the night added a run for the GreenJackets in the top of the ninth. The former 13th-round pick by the Atlanta Braves hit an RBI double to left-center field to score Isaiah Drake, making it 13-3 for Kannapolis in the ninth. The monstrous comeback attempt failed to materialize, however, with the Ballers securing the victory.

RHP Jake Peppers will make his 15th start of the season for the Cannon Ballers in the second of a three-game series with the Augusta GreenJackets. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, with fireworks following the game for all fans to enjoy.

Fans can purchase tickets for Saturday’s game or any remaining Cannon Ballers home games at kcballers.com or at the F&M Bank box office in the Atrium Health Ballpark.

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