RiverDogs Lead from Start to Finish, Take Down Cannon Ballers 8-5

By: Riverdogs Media

Kannapolis, NC — The Charleston RiverDogs put up a crooked number in the first inning and never looked back on the way to an 8-5 takedown of Kannapolis on Wednesday night at Atrium Health Ballpark. The victory was the fifth in a row for the RiverDogs and, paired with a Columbia loss, stretched the team’s lead in the South Division to seven games.

The start time of the contest was moved ahead 15 minutes in order to avoid a fireworks show in Kannapolis, but the RiverDogs (33-15) opened the game with fireworks of their own. Alika Williams reached on an error and advanced to third base on Brett Wisely’s one-out single. Diego Infante put the RiverDogs on top 1-0 with a line drive double to the wall in right field. With two outs, Abiezel Ramirez turned on a two-strike offering from Martin Carrasco and split the gap in right-center for a two-run triple. A Nick Schnell walk put runners on the corners once more and the pair executed a double steal to plate another run and extend the advantage to 4-0.

That score stuck for the next four innings thanks to the work on the mound of starting pitcher Taj Bradley. The right-hander limited the Cannon Ballers (15-34) to just one hit over 5.0 scoreless frames. He recorded five strikeouts to move into second place in the Low-A East in that category.

After the starters departed, the sixth and seventh innings turned into a home run derby. Johan Lopez hit a home run for the third straight game to extend the lead to 5-0 in the top of the sixth. In the bottom half, Kannapolis closed within one thanks to a four-run rally that was capped by a Harvin Mendoza three-run blast. Wisely and Chase Krogman countered one another with solo home runs in each half of the seventh. When the dust settled, the RiverDogs were in front 6-5.

Charleston pushed across an unearned run in the eighth inning when Nick Schnell scored from second on a throwing error by shortstop Jose Rodriguez who was trying to turn an inning-ending double play. The final run was provided in the top of the ninth as Infante drove in Curtis Mead with a groundout to third.

After scoring in each of the final six frames on Tuesday and in five different innings on Wednesday, the RiverDogs have scored at least one run in 11 of the last 15 innings. Wisely, Infante, Lopez and Michael Berglund each provided a pair of hits to the team’s 11-hit effort. Infante and Ramirez led the way with two RBI each. Mendoza collected three of the Cannon Ballers five hits and drove in three runs.

Brayden Theriot allowed his first run of the season on the Skogman round-tripper in the seventh inning, but retired the next six hitters in 2.0 innings of work out of the bullpen. Angel Felipe picked up his third save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning that featured three strikeouts. Neraldo Catalina allowed four runs in a lone inning on the hill.

The series continues with the third installment between the two teams at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday night. LHP Ian Seymour will make his professional debut for the RiverDogs as the team’s starter. Kannapolis will turn to RHP Angel Acevedo (1-1, 4.07).

All RiverDogs games are broadcast worldwide on riverdogs.com. A television broadcast of all 60 home games during the 2021 season will also be available via MiLB.TV. Games are also available on the MiLB First Pitch app.

RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are now available for the 2021 campaign at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). A full schedule for the 2021 season is available at riverdogs.com.

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