Befitting two clubs that allowed .230 opponent hitting all season, the finale of this Best-of-3 set on Friday whittled the lumber down to toothpicks, with both clubs scoreless through 10 innings and piling up just nine hits/eight singles between them.

But the Cannon Ballers prevailed in extra innings, taking a postseason series for the first time in seven years (and first with the Cannon Ballers moniker). Kannapolis hosts the Carolina League Finals beginning on Sunday.

All the action on offense in this decider came in the 11th inning. First, the RiverDogs finally broke through, after taking 10 of 11 outs from the eighth-on by strikeout and the other coming on a comebacker to the pitcher: Émilien Pitre singled with two outs to bring the lead run home.

But Kannapolis struck back. George Wolkow had a productive out to push Manfred Man Sam Antonacci to third with a grounder. After Antonacci somewhat puzzlingly was pulled for a pinch-runner (Mason Dinesen), it was a RiverDogs double-clutch error by pitcher Andy Rodriguez that tied the game on a Alec Makarewicz tap-back.

Ballers tie it up. More importantly they can now walk it off.. pic.twitter.com/lJgopJzuu1

— Jonathan Lee (@followmefor3) September 14, 2024

T.J. McCants won it on a first-pitch away, driven deep to left for a game-winning double, scoring Makarewicz.

🚨 We’ve got a @Kcannonballers walk-off to win the Carolina League semis! 🚨

The @whitesox affiliate is headed back to the Championship Series for the first time since 2017 by virtue of T.J. McCants’ walk-off knock 🎉 pic.twitter.com/YfqNCSjG5H

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 14, 2024

TJ McCants reacts to his series clinching walkoff basehit sending the @Kcannonballers to the Carolina League Championship series.@SouthSideSox pic.twitter.com/3AitheDmaU

— Jonathan Lee (@followmefor3) September 14, 2024

This game was a true pitchers’ duel, with relentless aggressive and clutch pitching, from both starters and a parade of high-leverage relievers.

And it was Rays affiliate Charleston who truly ran their opponents through the ringer, melting through 14 outs before even allowing a hit, Drake Logan’s fifth-inning single that died on the vine. Yes, 2023 Tampa fifth-rounder Trevor Harrison was nearly perfect for his five frames, with just that single an a leadoff free pass to Antonacci in the fourth.

And there was no relief for Kanny from the RiverDogs reliever corps, as 2023 17th-rounder Hayden Snelsire entered in the sixth and was just as mean.

For their part, the pitching tandem of Jake Peppers (five innings, four hits, five Ks) and Clete Hartzog (two frames, one hit) kept Charleston from denting the scoreboard, as well.

With two outs in the seventh, Ronny Hernandez issued a flare to center that doubled Kanny’s hit total, leading to a mini-rally after Jackson Appel singled to put two on. But Logan whiffed quickly to extinguish hope and keep zeroes on the board with two frames remaining.

The game would be determined by clutch at-bats and stingy back-end bullpen work. The Cannon Ballers got a guy for that, University of Tennessee hero Aaron Combs, who took the pill in the eighth and struck out the side. In the CBs half, it was two quick outs and another late flare-up, Antonacci getting on with a single before a slumping Wolkow whiffed.

The season was down to one inning. Combs took the ball for a second frame, putting his eight-game (career) professional scoreless streak on the line. Guess what? The killer Volunteer struck out the side once again.

It was the heart of the order up in the ninth for the Cannon Ballers, taking a fourth stab at making a difference in this game … and season. However, Makarewicz struck out for the third time in four trips and McCants tapped out to third. Faced with Manfred Manning the end of this playoff game, Ronny Hernandez worked a seven-pitch walk and took a seat on the bench, as Albertson Asigen pitch-ran. Appel tapped out to second on the second pitch, and into extras we went.

And in a bit of a consolation-prize ending, Kannapolis took the series under Manfred Man rules, staving off a sure-thing Charleston rally in the top of the 10th and delivering the win and series in the bottom half, as Jeral Perez singled with one out and

As if momentum hadn’t already been swung with a no-outs, runner on third rally ended fruitlessly for the RiverDogs, Charleston manager Sean Smedley got the heave-ho between innings.

(To be fair, Smedley may have had a point.)

Mark McLaughlin gets the called third strike to end the T10.

Ballers can walk it off .. pic.twitter.com/qveJVnwQgL

— Jonathan Lee (@followmefor3) September 14, 2024

The Cannon Ballers continued the comedy of errors into the 11th, as with runners on the corners and ducks on the pond with one out begat a Ryan Burrowes K and Antonacci 2-0 ground out to send the game to 11.

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