In 57 games prior, Fredericksburg pitchers had given up 72 first-inning runs, which puts even more pressure on an offense that struggles to score runs (3.81/G in a league where the average is 5.06).
Unfortunately, Kannapolis’s Andrew Dalquist was just as good, setting the side down in order to match goose eggs with Theophile through two.
The big Nicaraguan ran into trouble in the middle innings (in a 7-inning game, the third innings counts as such). He walked the leadoff man, then saw a sacrifice bunt turn into two runners in scoring position with an error by Gerardi Diaz, the eighth in 25 games behind the dish.
Theophile then dug himself into trouble with a wild-pitch-whiff that allowed the runner from the third to score and the batter to reach first base. (For those keeping score while reading their morning coffee… what the hell is wrong with you? Also, that’s two extra outs).
A groundout to short that the F-Nats couldn’t turn into two outs plated the second run. After a stolen base, Theophile gave up his first hit to put runners on the corners but the defense converted a second grounder for an inning-ending twin-killing.
Dalquist couldn’t stand the prosperity and did all that he could to give back those two runs – hitting a batter, committing a balk, but ultimately four walks did the trick for a 2-2 tie after three.
The gamewinner came in the 5th on a two-out knock by Viandel Peña that the Cannon Baller left fielder handled like a grenade to turn a single into a Little League double. Ricardo Méndez capitalized on the error with another two-out hit for the 3-2 lead that Davis Moore, who came in with one out and one on in the 6th, was able to hold for his second save and preserve the first “W” of 2021 for Theophile.
In the nightcap, Carlos Romero was able to match Theophile’s feat and go one better, putting up three goose eggs before the Cannon Ballers got to him on the second turn through the lineup with a run on three hits in the 4th and a homer in the 5th. He was lifted with two outs and only 67 pitches thrown.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch Jake Randa justmissed a HR that hit about 2′ short of the top of the RF wall for a double that gave the F-Nats an early 1-0 lead. And, just like Game 1, the Kannapolis decided to give back its lead with three walks and a single in the 5th, inexplicably lifting starter Chase Solesky after four innings and 60 pitches.
And also like Game One, Fredericksburg got sloppy on defense in the 6th, giving the lead away with two singles and two error to tie it at 3-3.
In the bottom of the 6th, Jake Randa launched a shot that landed beyond the OF fence but bounced back in, which was obvious to everyone by the two folks that mattered as Kannapolis successfully fooled them into believing it had justmissed again. José Sánchez singled to push Randa to third and Jackson Coutts lifted a sac fly to send in Randa for a 4-3 lead.
Kannapolis made two quick outs before Tyler Yankosky, who had relieved Romero with one out in the 5th, hit a batter and gave up a single to put the tying run into scoring position. Mario Lisson summoned Gilberto Shu to get the last out, which he got the credit for when Junior Martina chased down a foul pop for the final to cinch the doubleheader sweep.
The two teams meet for the sixth and final time in 2021 tonight. Seth Romero (0-0, 5.40) gets the start against Martín Carrasco (1-3, 5.67).