(Story courtesy Augusta GreenJackets)
NORTH AUGUSTA – A quick, low-scoring affair turned lopsided in the middle innings as the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers scored five runs in the top of the sixth, the only offense either team would provide in a 5-0 victory over the GreenJackets Tuesday at SRP Park.
Starters Didier Fuentes and Drew McDaniel went blow for blow through the first five innings, each turning in career performances to begin a week expected to be dominated by pitching. Fuentes matched his season high of five strikeouts before the end of the second inning en route to a career high 11 punch outs through five innings. McDaniel, who was coming off his best outing to date in which he went seven scoreless with nine strikeouts against Fayetteville, would match and eventually surpass his previous totals as he carved through the GreenJackets all night long.
Skipper Wynston Sawyer sent the 18-year-old righty Fuentes out for the sixth inning for the first time in his young career, but the Cannon Ballers caused headaches immediately. Rikuu Nishida began the inning with a base hit off the glove of Fuentes that knocked the mitt right off his hand. Ryan Burrowes hit a ground ball that could have been a potential double play, but rolled through the legs of Diego Benitez to put two on with nobody out. Powerful lefty Caden Connor got ahead in the count, and launched a three-run homer off the batter’s eye in center field to break the scoreless tie.
The home run would end the night for Fuentes, and saddle him with his first loss of 2024. Beau Philip came on to attempt a mop up role, but allowed two more runs in the inning (one earned) to bring the lead for Kannapolis to 5.
Augusta mustered two hits and drew two hit by pitches against Drew McDaniel, but the Ole Miss product was unflappable, posting 7 scoreless innings for the second straight game and marking a new career-high in strikeouts with 11 of his own in two more innings than Fuentes. Luke Bell and Christian Edwards each added a scoreless inning of their own to clinch the shutout for Kannapolis, their fourth in the last 8 games played. Will Silva was a late bright spot for the Augusta, striking out four in two scoreless innings at the end of the game, his third straight scoreless appearance.
Kannapolis extends their lead at the top of the south division of the Carolina League, now sporting a record of 22-17. Augusta falls to 17-22, the farthest below .500 it has been this season. Luis Vargas makes his first scheduled start of 2024 Wednesday night after seeing a spot start last week and throwing admirably. He’ll match up with Kannapolis righty Jake Peppers, who is 2-2 with a 3.34 ERA.
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