(Story courtesy Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets)
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers sent 12 men to the plate, the first nine of which scored, in a landslide of a third inning that left little doubt to the result in a 13-3 over Augusta Friday night.
In the first game back from the All-Star break, the biggest story for the GreenJackets was the debut of three exciting young prospects that had been called up from the Florida Complex League prior to the road trip. Infielder John Gil and outfielders Luis Guanipa and Junior Garcia got the call for their GreenJackets debut, each of whom came with high praise for the results they had posted in North Port this year. All three were in the lineup and at the top of the order, but their presence alone was not enough to will the offense to victory.
Augusta sent Rolando Gutierrez to the mound for his first start with the GreenJackets, and the southpaw started off solidly, allowing just one unearned run in his first two innings. Things turned sour quickly, however, as two walks and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases with nobody out in the third. Wilber Sanchez roped a two-run single to give the Ballers a lead, and a subsequent error and additional walk chased Gutierrez from the game. Adam Shoemaker came on in relief and allowed all three inherited runners to score, along with a couple of his own for a nine-run inning.
The GreenJacket offense was led decisively by first baseman Will Verdung, who went 2-4 and drove in two of the team’s three runs. Verdung got Augusta on the board early with a mammoth solo homer that tied the game at one in the second. Verdung added a last gasp of offense in the 9th as well, with a double to the wall in center that scored Isaiah Drake from first and gave him his first multi-hit day of the month.
Guanipa went 1-4 at the top of the order in his debut with a handful of hard hit balls including a bullet of a base hit up the middle for his first at the Single-A level. Gil debuted with a 2-3 night, beating out a pair of infield singles and adding the only RBI that did not come from Verdung on a 6th inning sacrifice fly to score Cam Magee. Garcia was the only of the newcomers to not record a hit, but not without effort, as he was denied extra bases on a line drive to the gap by a phenomenal diving catch from Kannapolis center fielder Alvaro Aguero.
Kannapolis has now won five straight games against Augusta and 9 of 13 on the year, and will look to claim back to back wins in the three-game series at 7 p.m. Saturday behind righty Jake Peppers. The GreenJackets have yet to release who will be their starter tomorrow, although it is known that JR Ritchie will be the probable pitcher on Sunday in the series finale before the team moves on to Myrtle Beach. The GreenJackets will return home at the end of the month on July 30, hosting the Down East Wood Ducks for the first and only time in their final season of existence. Tickets for the week’s slate of games can be found at greenjacketsbaseball.com or by calling (803) 349-9467.
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