From Kannapolis Intimidators

Kannapolis – Following six straight strikeouts at the plate for Kannapolis, the Intimidators (4-2) loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning for cleanup hitter Craig Dedelow, who delivered for his team with a double down the left field to give the I’s the 5-4 walk-off win at Intimidators Stadium sponsored by Atrium Health Tuesday night.

Starter Kade McClure got off to a rough start for the Intimidators, giving up two runs right off the bat to Asheville in the first, digging the I’s offense in a hole against the Tourists’ starter, Antonio Santos.

 With Santos cruising through four innings, allowing just two hits, Asheville tagged on another run in the third to increase their lead to three runs.

In the fifth, Kannapolis got on the scoreboard as Laz Rivera scored off a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of Luis Gonzalez, followed by a double from Johan Cruz that plated Tyler Frost, who reached base earlier in the inning with a single.

Down by one in the sixth, Rivera scored Evan Skoug, who reached on a leadoff walk to tie the game, 3-3. With Michael Hickman on base with a single, Tyler Frost smoked a ball into left-center, scoring Hickman while turning on the jets to reach third base standing up, giving the I’s a 4-3 lead.

After a Bret Boswell single that scored Chad Spanberger of the Tourists (1-5) in the top of the seventh, the game remained tied all the way until the end of the ninth, as Zach Lewis and Aron McRee (W, 2-0) held down the fort out of the bullpen for manager Justin Jirschele.

The walk-off for the Intimidators is their second of the early-season, leading them into Wednesday’s 10:05 a.m. game with a chance to win the first two series of the season in front of their home crowd in Kannapolis, N.C.