The Will call on Hoppers-Intimidators from Friday night

from Will Cornelius Hoppers’ media:

LOMAN AND INTIMIDATORS OUTLAST HOPPERS IN EXTRAS

GREENSBORO, NC – The Grasshoppers dropped an extra-inning thriller to the Kannapolis Intimidators Friday night, losing the back and forth match up 6-4 in the 10th inning.

The visiting Intimidators jumped out to an early one run lead when leadoff man Justin Green lifted a lazy fly ball home run to right-center field. Greene’s solo shot was his second first-inning home run of the season, and his sixth on the year.

Kannapolis would strike with another long ball in the third frame, as right-fielder Seth Loman sent one across the street behind right field to extend the lead to two.

The Hoppers would get on the board in the home half of the fourth, notching two runs on a Daniel Pertusati single. Pertusati led the Hoppers in RBIs in the contest, bringing in his 15th and 16th runs of the season.

The 2-2 tie didn’t hold beyond the next inning, as Loman blasted his second home run of the contest to deep right-center. The home run, which out-distanced his first, helped the Intimidators to their second lead of the game.

But the Hoppers battled in the home half of the inning, stringing together four consecutive hits to plate two runs of their own. Kyle Skipworth followed Jeremy Synan, Ben Lasater, and Jake Smolinski with an RBI single to cap off the Hoppers’ rally.

Hopper’s starter Tom Koehler (3-3) tossed a scoreless sixth inning to carry the Hopper’s lead into the seventh inning, but ultimately relinquished the lead before he exited the game.

After recording two quick outs in the seventh, Loman belted his third home run of the game to even things up at four apiece. With his third home run, Loman tabbed three of his six total home runs tonight against the Hoppers, and fell one big fly short of a South Atlantic League record for home runs in a game.

The score remained deadlocked after the completion of the ninth inning, sending the nail-biting game into extra-innings.

Kannapolis broke the tie in the top of the 10th however, tagging Pete Andrelczyk for two runs in the frame. The rally began when third basemen Jose Vargas reached on an error and moved up on a single. Shortstop Eduardo Escobar fought-off a tough pitch past the second basemen before an error in the outfield brought home two runs.

The Hoppers failed to respond in the home half of the 10th, going down in order to drop their second extra-inning affair of the year.

Andrelczyk took the loss for the Hoppers, allowing both unearned runs to take his first loss of the season. At the plate, Skipworth led all Hopper’s hitters with his 3-4 performance. He also drove in a run en route to his first three-hit game this season.

The Hoppers (30-29) travel to Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium in Kannapolis tomorrow evening for the final two games of the four-game set. The Hoppers wrap up the current series Sunday afternoon before returning home Monday, June 15th to host the Hickory Crawdads for three games.

Monday’s contest is slated to start at 7:05 p.m., with gates opening at 6:00 p.m.

Will Cornelius
Media Relations, Intern
Greensboro Grasshoppers Baseball