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KANNAPOLIS — The Charleston Alley Cats finally scratched, but were hardly a match for the Kannapolis Intimidators.
Kannapolis chilled Charleston (W.V.) 10-5 in South Atlantic League baseball on Wednesday at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium in a game as brutal as the sled-dog weather.
But the Intimidators aren’t after style points, so they’ll cheerfully take the “W.” They’re flying high atop the SAL’s Northern Division at 10-3 and have placed last week’s back-to-back losses at Lexington’s Applebee’s Park (their first mini-losing streak) in the rearview mirror.
After being skunked 8-0 and 1-0 by Intimidator arms on Monday and Tuesday, the scuffling Alley Cats (4-9) probably weren’t particularly unhappy with Wednesday’s final tally, either. They’ve dropped six straight — all to Kannapolis and second-place Delmarva. They’ve been outscored 34-13 in that stretch.
The game turned in the top of the fifth with the score tied at 2.
The Cats were meowing. They had the bases loaded, no outs and already had a run across on a bases-loaded walk issued by Kannapolis starter Jim Sweeney (3-0). Sweeney, unbeaten, untied and unscored upon in his first two starts, was in real trouble. But then, Alex Rios, No. 3 hitter for the Cats, grounded sharply to third baseman John Lackaff. Lackaff came up firing to catcher Humberto Quintero for a force at the plate and Quintero catapulted the relay to first baseman Casey Rogowski to complete an eye-catching double play.
“No question, the key play of the game,” said Kannapolis manager Razor Shines. “Lackaff got rid of the ball so quickly that Quintero was able to turn it.”
That unusual 5-2-3 twin spin recharged Sweeney. He retired cleanup man Maikel Jova on a fly ball and the inning was over.
All heck broke loose in the bottom half. The Intimidators’ line in that frazzled frame read: two runs, one hit, two ejections.
Walks to Quintero and Mike Spidale and a soft hit by Chris Amador filled the bases. Then Charleston starter Tracy Thorpe grazed — maybe — Guillermo Reyes with a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. Thorpe uttered a few magic words and was immediately thrown out. Charleston manager Rolando Pino was also run when he questioned either umpire Randy Galloway’s sanity, eyesight or family tree in an up-close-and-personal manner.
When order was restored, Lackaff made it 4-2 with a sac fly. It was his team-leading 14th RBI. He’s second in the SAL in that category.
After the rhubarb, the Cats were catatonic. The Intimidators rolled over them for six unanswered runs. Four in the sixth, two in the seventh.
Charleston managed three oh-by-the-way scores in the ninth, but Shines never looked alarmed. And by then, most of the frozen-tundra fans (attendance was 815) had departed in search of firewood.
“I’m tickled pink with how we’re playing,” said Shines. “Sweeney didn’t have his stuff, but he still won. That showed me something.”
Second baseman Amador showed everyone something — finally. He started the season in a terrible swoon that got him dropped from leadoff to the No. 9 hole. Last night, though, he went 4-for-4 and showed his speed on a triple to right-center on which he accelerated like a souped-up Corvette. He also swiped a base. The perfect night jacked Amador’s average from .125 to above the Mendoza line at .205. He had fanned a team-high (by a lot) 20 times and had a meager five hits prior to Wednesday’s breakout.
“Amador’s getting better because he’s working hard seven days a week with (hitting instructor) Ken Dominguez,” said Shines. “He’ll be fine.”
It’s scary to think about, but the Intimidators might soon have another key cog clicking. They’re already playing at a .769 pace.
“And we’ll definitely take that,” said a smiling Shines.
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NOTES:Hot-hitting shortstop Reyes had three RBIs. ... Kannapolis left fielder Derek Wigginton smacked his second homer to tie the game at 1 in the second. Kannapolis has just six homers — two each by Wigginton, Rogowski and Lackaff. ... Rogowski went 1-for-3. He’s at .409. ... Today’s game began at noon, because the Intimidators must bus six hours or so to Delmarva (Salisbury, Md.) for a game on Friday. ... The Intimidators return home on the 24th to face Hagerstown. ... The SAL is a pitcher’s league. A 3.23 ERA ranks the Intimidators eighth. ... Shines wasn’t thrilled with his first bus ride from K-Town to Lexington, Ky. ...That was long!” yelped Shines. “And we’ve to do it again!”
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