BY DAVID SHAW
SALISBURY POST

KANNAPOLIS — The Kannapolis Intimidators found another cure for their summertime blues Friday night.

Relief was provided by starting pitcher Dario Ferran and infielder John Lackaff, both of whom made important contributions in a 4-3 win over visiting Lexington.

“The consistency with the pitching has been a tremendous key for us,” manager Razor Shines said after Kannapolis (15-17, 62-39 overall) earned its fourth straight victory and seventh in eight games. “That and the fact that we’ve got John Lackaff back to play third base. That’s not a knock against anybody. It’s just that that kid can play third base as good as anybody.”

Lackaff, who missed a few games with a right index finger injury earlier this month, delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning and helped preserve the win by throwing out a runner at the plate during Lexington’s two-run ninth.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again,” noted Kannapolis catcher Wally Rosa. “Every time Lackaff’s in the lineup, something big happens.”

Lackaff saved a run — and rescued the Intimidators’ schizophrenic bullpen — when he fielded a squeeze bunt by Felix Escalana and fired a strike to Rosa, nailing Thomas Whiteman for the second out of the final inning.

“I think it was a great call but the runner broke a little late,” said Lackaff. “I knew I had to go home with it and fortunately, put it in a decent spot. It was a bang-bang, do-or-die play.”

The game ended one batter later when lefty reliever Arnaldo Munoz induced Michael Hill to wave at a 1-2 curveball. It capped a most entertaining night, one that saw Ferran (7-9) solidify his bid to earn the team’s “Employee of the Month” award. The 20-year old right-hander scattered six hits and allowed only one run — Roman German’s second-inning homer — in an efficient, eight-inning stint. He improved to 3-1 in July and lowered his earned run average to 2.84.

“He says he felt he had very good stuff with all of his pitches,” Ferran said through teammate/interpreter Francisco Lebron, the newest Intimidator. “He felt like he could get anybody out.”

Shines couldn’t help but notice. “Dario has done this the whole second half,” said the first-year skipper. “He’s been basically unhittable. He’s throwing an excellent change-up to keep hitters off-balance and he’s locating his fastball on both sides of the plate.”

Ferran did it all in a 90-pitch showcase. He struck out five, walked two and finished strong — retiring 11 of the last 12 batters he faced. “We knew he was gonna be a good pitcher,” said Rosa. “He just had to throw strikes.”

Lexington (19-14, 69-34 overall) received a worthy performance from 11-game winner Anthony Puta, its 19-year old starting pitcher. He allowed only two hits — including Derek Wigginton’s game-tying, RBI-single in the fourth.

The Intimidators took a 2-1 lead against relief pitcher Manny Santillan on Rosa’s seventh-inning double to right-center. Then in the eighth Casey Rogowski drew a one-out walk, pinch-hitter Norman Martel grounded a textbook hit-and-run single through the vacated shortstop hole and Lackaff skipped his two-run base hit into left-field.

“We’re playing good ball again,” Lackaff said. “And Ferran, he’s been very confident on the hill. When your starting pitcher can go seven or eight strong innings, that’s huge. It instills confidence not only in him, but the whole team.”

n

NOTES: The series continues at 7:05 tonight. ... Kannapolis shortstop Stevie Daniel sprained his left ankle running the bases in the sixth inning and came out of the game. His status is day-to-day. ... West Rowan boys basketball coach Mike Gurley was among the 1,737 spectators.