Comeback Efforts Fall Flat In Q’s 8-7 Loss to Augusta in Series Finale Sunday

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Despite tying the game at multiple points and having chances to make a completed comeback, the Kannapolis Q’s dropped their final game of the six-game series with the Augusta GreenJackets, 8-7, Sunday afternoon at Atrium Health Ballpark.

RHP Peyton Pallette got chased out of the ballgame quickly by the GreenJackets, going just 0.2 innings on the mound. The righty walked three and struck out one, being charged with three earned runs despite no hits on his stats. RHP Emerson Talavera entered the game in relief, tossing 2.1 innings and walking one with three strikeouts, allowing two runs on three hits.

Augusta’s offense got off to a quick start in the first inning, going ahead 1-0 on a bases-loaded walk for Jair Casanova, followed quickly by an E.J. Exposito RBI single, sending home Jeremy Celedonio and Nick Clarno, to push the GreenJackets into a 3-0 lead.

David McCabe ignited another scoring run in the third, crushing his third home run of the season into right-center to make it 4-0 Augusta, quickly followed later in the inning with a Casanova RBI triple, scoring Clarno and extending their lead to 5-0.

Kannapolis finally got on the board with a five-run third inning, punishing Augusta starter RHP Didier Fuentes with five runs on five hits. Jordan Sprinkle notched a sacrifice fly to score Johnabiell Laureano, making it 5-1, before Mario Camiletti stepped in and doubled to center, scoring Caberea Weaver to make it 5-2. In the next three batters, the Q’s tallied two home runs, including both a two-run homer from Carolina League leader Tim Elko and a solo shot from Bryce Willits, knotting the score at 5-5 after three innings.

The GreenJackets answered in the fifth with two more runs in the book, climbing back to a 7-5 lead with back-to-back RBI singles from E.J. Exposito and Mahki Backstrom. Augusta then elected to send RHP Jared Johnson (W, 2-1) to the mound, who kept the Q’s off the board late.

Brooks Baldwin continued his hot stretch at the plate, tallying his second home run of the week in the seventh inning. The two-run shot to right tied the game and made it 7-7 after seven innings of baseball.

Augusta snuck back into a lead in the eighth inning with a Tyler Collins sacrifice fly, scoring Exposito and setting up an advantage that proved to be too much for Kannapolis to come back from.

The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers will reset and depart for a six-game stretch in Fayetteville against the Woodpeckers, Low-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, May 9-14 at Segra Stadium. The Ballers return home May 16-21 against the Carolina Mudcats, Low-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, for their third homestand at Atrium Health Ballpark.

Fans can purchase tickets for any remaining home games at kcballers.com or at the F&M Bank Box Office located at Atrium Health Ballpark.