Intimidators drub Hoppers again
from Bill Hass with Bill on Baseball(Greensboro Grasshoppers) at www.gsohoppers.com….
Kannapolis hitters continued their assault on Hoppers pitching Tuesday night, pounding out 18 hits, including four doubles and four homers, in a 12-2 victory cut short by rain in the bottom of the eighth inning.
In two games the Intimidators have scored 24 runs on 34 hits and have hit seven home runs by six different players. Adam Engel hit his second in two games and Danny Hayes, Carl Thomore and Jacob Morris joined in the fun. Brett Austin, the N.C. State catcher drafted in the fourth round by the White Sox last month, had two hits, three RBIs and scored twice.
Cody Crabaugh started and gave up six runs in four innings, Tyler Kane was tagged for five runs in two innings and Esmerling de la Rosa gave up one run in two innings.
On offense, Kannapolis right-hander Robinson Leyer limited the Hoppers to three hits in seven innings. Austin Dean had two of those, including his seventh homer, as he extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Carlos Lopez had the other hit and Felix Munoz drove in his 60th run on a groundout.
The Hoppers did make two outstanding defensive plays. In the third inning, center fielder Lopez made a leaping catch against the fence to rob a hitter of extra bases. In the fourth, second baseman Yefri Perez ranged to his right to stab a grounder behind second base, pivoted and get enough on the throw to nip the runner at first.
The three-game series wraps up with a 12:30 p.m. game Wednesday. Sean Townsley, who opened the home stand by beating West Virginia, will be the starter.