KANNAPOLIS— Good pitching wasn’t good enough for the Kannapolis Intimidators on Monday.
Thanks to an anemic offense that managed just seven hits in 14 innings, Kannapolis needed perfect pitching. Instead, the Intimidators dropped both games of the ClassASouth Atlantic League doubleheader, 1-0 and 4-0, to the Asheville Tourists to end a long homestand plagued by rainouts and doubleheaders.
“We’re in a little swoon offensively,”Kannapolis manager Razor Shines said. “We’re struggling to get runs of any sort. If we hit the ball hard it’s right at people; nub the ball and you’re out by half a step.”
Dario Ferran earned the first hard-luck loss at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium, allowing one suspect run on five hits through 62/3 innings. The reigning SALPitcher of the Week fell to 5-9 for the season, but has been throwing much better as of late.
“I was real pleased with the performance Dario gave us,”Shines said. “He did an excellent job, pitching his way out of a jam. He’s done what he’s had to do the last few times out.”
Asheville (11-7 second half) put runners at second and third with one out in the top of the sixth inning to force a difficult decision: intentionally walking ReneReyes to load the bases — with cleanup man Brad Hawpe coming to the plate.
But the burly Tourist pulled a grounder to first baseman Casey Rogowski, who threw home for the force. Clint Barmes followed with a hot shot to third that was an easy force for Ralph Flores.
Ferran wasn’t as lucky in the seventh. Edmund Muth led off with a single and took second on a sacrifice bunt. Catcher MikeTejada drilled a liner to center that Michael Spidale started in on, then retreated toward the fence as the ball flew over his head.
Muth scored easily with the game’s only run.
“The ball was hit hard,”Shines said. “It looked as though Mike thought the ball was hit lower than it was, but if you talked to Mike about it, I’m sure he’d say it’s a ball he should’ve caught.”
The Intimidators (5-11), who scattered four hits in six innings off Chris Buglovsky, got one more to lead off the seventh from Wally Rosa. Rosa had three hits in the opener, but never made it around.
Amazingly, the Kannapolis offense got even quieter in Game 2. Asheville starter Nick Webb allowed just two hits and faced only one more than the minimum over six innings to improve to 5-2.
Spidale led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single, and when Flores followed with a fielder’s choice grounder and stolen base, he became the only Intimidator to reach second base.
Webb retired the side in order in the second, fifth and sixth innings and erased a third-inning walk with a double-play ball. In the fourth, Darren Ciraco got a little greedy on his two-out single to left and was thrown out to end the inning.
Intimidator starter Dan Mozingo struck out seven but had to work harder than usual for his outs. In the first two innings, he gave up doubles that led to runs.
After striking out the side in the third, Mozingo watched Asheville take control with a healthy dose of “little ball.”
Justin Lincoln led off with a bunt single, Muth singled to center and a sac bunt put runners at second and third and pulled the infield in. Dagoberto Bernard grounded a ball that second baseman Chris Amador had to hustle to keep from shooting through, but his throw to the plate was late. Melvin Rosario followed with another bunt single for a 4-0 lead and all the runs Asheville needed.
Mozingo, who fell to 5-3, left after the fifth.
“Dan’s been sharper. He got behind a lot of guys,”Shines said. “When he gets ahead of guys, he gets a lot of people out.”
When the Intimidator offense struggles, though, “a lot” isn’t enough.
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NOTES: Some of Kannapolis’ hitting woes can be attributed to third baseman John Lackaff’s trip to the disabled list. The hard-hitting right-hander has an injured finger. … Shines said Ferran’s improvement can be traced to throwing more changeups — his second-best pitch — instead of sliders, No. 3 in the repertoire. … After a day off, Kannapolis travels to Hagerstown, Md., to meet the Suns, then return for two games at Fieldcrest CannonStadium on Saturday and Sunday against the first-half champion Lexington Legends.
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Contact Steve Hanf at 704-797-4287 or shanf@salisburypost.com
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