Nashville Sounds 4, Charlotte Knights 2 A snoozing offense proved to be Charlotte’s downfall. There were lots of zeroes to start the game. Through the fifth inning, the Knights had zero hits and were 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position. Although the lineup managed to limit its strikeouts to five, there was so much to be desired. Down 2-0 after David Sandlin and Garrett Schoenle each gave up a run in the fourth and fifth frames, the Knights seemed to be throwing in the towel early. But they turned
it around, fast.
The Knights had had enough of the scoreless drought in the sixth when Austin Hays doubled, and Ryan Galanie bounced the ball off the left field light post, tying the contest at two apiece. Finally, some life!
Although the comeback looked promising, the momentum died quickly. Wikelman González punctuated his not-so-great July by allowing a go-ahead RBI double and sac fly in the eighth to push Nashville over the finish line, killing the enthusiasm for the rest of the evening.
MVP
Ryan Galanie: 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, K, HR
Runners-Up
Austin Hays: 1-for-4, R
Peyton Pallette: 1 2/3 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 3 K
Mario Camilletti: 2-for-4, K
Cold Cat
David Sandlin: 1 IP, H, R, 4 BB, 3 K
Wikelman González: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, K
Birmingham Barons 7, Chattanooga Lookouts 6
Birmingham squeaked out their 40th win over Chattanooga, and it all came down to one inning.
Throughout the game, the Barons and Lookouts went toe-to-toe, putting up the same number of runs in the first, third and seventh frames. But the fourth inning was the difference-maker. After Jake Palisch escaped the top of the fourth with only a hit-by-pitch, Colby Shelton’s leadoff single put the Barons in an advantageous position. Shelton stole second and snagged third after Chattanooga’s Cade Hunter committed a throwing error, putting a runner on third with no outs. A no-frills sac fly from Ryan Burrowes plated Shelton and turned out to be the go-ahead run.
The pitching had a fair day, all things considered. Juan Carela gave up four runs in his first stint back from the IL, and Jake Palisch allowed two runs but played hero in his five-inning relief role to earn the win. Jonathan Clark was the only one who escaped unscathed, putting a bow on his strong July performance.
MVP
Dylan Campbell: 3-for-4, R, K
Runners-Up
Alec Briley: 2-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI
Jorge Corona: 1-for-2, R, 3 RBI, BB
Cold Cat
Caleb Bonemer: 0-for-4, 4 K
Juan Carela: 3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, BB, 4 K, HR
Winston-Salem Dash 14, Brooklyn Cyclones 4
The Dash got revenge for their previous loss by stomping on the Cyclones. Succeeding off the small ball, Nick McLain, Calvin Harris, George Wolkow, and Derek Cerda all recorded multi-hit games to combine for 10 runs and counter the lineup’s 11 strikeouts. Although the game looked somewhat competitive by the eighth, Wolkow came out of his shell to deliver a grand slam that buried the Cyclones for the night.
Grant Umberger was the star on the mound for Winston-Salem. Although a solo home run from a competitive pitch disrupted what would’ve been a five-inning shutout, his six strikeouts and durability outweighed the damage. The rest of the bullpen mopped up behind the surging bats.
MVP
George Wolkow: 2-for-5, 3 R, 5 RBI, BB, K
Runners-Up
Grant Umberger: 5 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 6 K, HR, W
Calvin Harris: 2-for-3, 3 R, 3 BB
Nick McLain: 2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 3 BB
Derek Cerda: 3-for-5, 4 R, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB
Cold Cat
Jake Bockenstedt: 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, BB
Frankeli Arias: 1 IP, H, R, 2 BB, K
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 6, Salem RidgeYaks 2
The Cannon Ballers evened the series with the Cyclones with an efficient win.
Fabian Ysalla set the tone early by holding the RidgeYaks to one run through five frames. Although both teams seemed to be gridlocked in a pitcher’s duel, the Ballers eventually broke through in the seventh. Piggybacking off Jaden Fauske’s fifth-inning RBI single, Matthew Boughton delivered his own RBI two-bagger after Carlton Perkins gave up Salem’s second run in the seventh, pulling the Kanny in front, 3-2. In the eighth, the CBs extended their lead by preying on Salem’s miscues. Yermain Ruiz’s wild pitch scored one, and Christian Gonzalez’s bases-loaded walk added two much-needed insurance runs. From there, Daniel Wright had the easy job of shutting the RidgeYaks down in the ninth to secure the victory.
MVP
Fabian Ysalla: 5 IP, 3 H, R, BB, K, HR
Runners-Up
Jaden Fauske: 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Matthew Boughton: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
Marco Barrios: 1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Steven Lancia: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB
Cold Cat
Billy Carlson: 0-for-4, K
Efran Teran: 0-for-4, K
Clay Burdette: 1-for-4, R, 3 K
DSL Pirates 4, DSL White Sox 1 (Suspended)
It’s a good thing the weather interrupted the DSLers in the bottom of the second, because they were headed straight toward a loss. Emmanuel Rodriguez’s arm was burned within five outs, giving up four runs off three walks and two hits. Josiel Veras’ effort to give the DSL Sox a fighting chance with an RBI single was short-lived, but at least they won’t start from nothing when they pick the game up tomorrow.
