Record

5-1 (last six games)

65-57 (overall)

24-32 (second half)

During their six-game stretch, Kannapolis faced a challenging gauntlet, facing two Carolina League rivals. First up were the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, an Astros affiliate and fifth-place team in Carolina South. Next, they squared off against the Fredericksburg Nationals, a top-ranked team in Carolina North and affiliated with the Washington Nationals.

The Ballers’ offense, combined with top-notch pitching, showcased why they were the South Division First Half Champs. After a couple of weeks with more defeats than victories, they finally found their winning groove again.

August 22: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 8, Fayetteville Woodpeckers 6

In this contest, the Ballers’ offense was a force. After a slow start, they exploded in a flurry of runs across the fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth innings. Seven of the nine batters contributed at least one hit, with George Wolkow, the White Sox’s No. 7 prospect, leading the charge. He went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a walk. The highlights of this kid mashing the ball are just incredible.

Southpaw Justin Sinibaldi made his professional debut for Kanny and was a bit shaky, as might have been expected for his first time out. He surrendered three runs (one unearned) on two hits, a walk, and a wild pitch and struck out three. The Sox selected the 22-year-old out of Rutgers University in Round 14 (No. 409) of the 2024 MLB Draft. In his career with the Knights, he was 12-6 with a 4.14 ERA over 197 2/3 innings.

Lefty Patrick Maybach got the win, blanking Fayetteville with no runs and only one hit with four Ks.

Game MVP

George Wolkow 3-for-4, 3 RBI, BB

August 23: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 9, Fayetteville Woodpeckers 6 (11 innings)

The Ballers exploded on offense once again, taking advantage of a struggling Woodpeckers pitching staff that ranks last in the Carolina League with a 4.68 ERA. Shortstop Ryan Burrowes had a big night with three RBIs, and designated hitter Sam Antonacci came through clutch in the 9-hole with two hits and two free passes.

The pitching wasn’t great, but good enough as starter Frankeli Arias tossed five innings, surrendering three runs on five hits with one walk. The lefthander’s season-high nine strikeouts were a bright spot, raising his K/9 to 10.41. Reliever Manuel Veloz came on in the sixth with a 5-3 lead but allowed Fayetteville to tie it up in the eighth.

With neither team able to push a run across in the ninth, the game went on to extras. In the 11th, the Ballers erupted for four runs, including RBIs by Antonacci and Wolkow. Jesús Méndez earned the win, allowing only the ghost runner to cross the plate.

Game MVP

Sam Antonacci 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R

August 24: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5, Fayetteville Woodpeckers 1

The Ballers’ dominance over Fayetteville continued on Saturday. Antonacci again showcased his offensive prowess with a 3-for-4 night, including an RBI double and a walk. Wolkow delivered another timely RBI single, while Makarewicz extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He debuted for Kannapolis on August 7 and has only had one game since without a hit. The undrafted free agent has been simply incredible since joining the Sox, and his continued production could make him a steal of a signing.

Ricardo Brizuela earned the win with a brilliant quality start, tossing six innings of one-hit ball. The righthander has been highly effective in August, going 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts over 21 innings. Reliever Aaron Combs, the Sox Round 8 (No. 229) pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, made his debut and gave up a hit and a walk while striking out two. Hale Sims closed out the game’s final two innings with no hits and three Ks, preserving the Ballers’ 5-1 victory over the Woodpeckers.

Game MVP

Ricardo Brizuela 6 IP, 3 H, R, 3 K, BB

August 25: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 9, Fayetteville Woodpeckers 2

For the fourth straight night, the Ballers offense relentlessly attacked Woodpeckers pitching. After going down quietly in the first three innings, Kanny put up a five-spot against reliever Pedro Marquez in the fourth. Marquez didn’t do himself any favors by walking three and hitting one batter. Makarewicz had another key RBI single, bringing his total to 15 over 17 games.

Tanner McDougal started for the Ballers and pitched pretty well, surrendering two runs on three hits and striking out four. However, his biggest struggle is still his control, as he gave up four free passes and hit two batters. So, while he has an awesome 11.00 K/9, he has a pretty awful 5.60 BB/9. Clete Hartzog earned his first professional win with only one hit and 2 Ks over 1 1/3.

Game MVP

Alec Makarewicz 2-for-5, 2 RBI, BB

August 27: Fredericksburg Nationals 10, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 6

This was a tough loss for the Ballers, even if the score doesn’t suggest that to be the case. Carlton Perkins made his professional start, giving up only one run on four hits through five innings while striking out NINE batters and only issuing one free pass. He now owns an incredible 11.10 K/9.

Unfortunately, the relief crew’s night was not equally as impressive. Sims earned his first blown save, serving up three runs in only 2/3 of an inning. Méndez didn’t have the stuff either, as he surrendered four runs on four hits in only 2/3 of an inning as well. The 20-year-old got tagged with the L and dropped his overall season record to 4-6.

The Kanny offense did their job putting six up on the board. They tallied four of those six in the fifth inning. Makarewicz came in clutch again with a big two-out, two RBI double. Wolkow followed him with his own two-bagger, driving home one run.

Game MVP

Carlton Perkins 5 IP, 4 H, R, BB, 9 K

August 28: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5, Fredericksburg Nationals 1

Pitching was the name of the game in this one. After a tough one last evening for the arm barn, tonight they were able to back up a great outing from starter Jake Peppers. The righty bounced back after a really tough game on August 21 when he gave up seven runs. It was a completely different story in this one, as he held down one of the best teams in the Carolina League to only one run on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Hartzog, Mark McLaughlin, and Connery Peters combined to hold the Nationals hitless and scoreless for 4 2/3 frames.

Wolkow continued his clutch hitting in key situations. He drove in one in the first on a ground out and knocked a two-out RBI double in the fifth. Center fielder Drake Logan smacked a two-run dinger, his seventh of the season, out of the 9-hole in the bottom of the second.

Drake Logan was the big difference maker in tonight’s WIN! So he got drenched with the sports drink bath during the Postgame interview!#HereComesTheBOOM #HaveABlast pic.twitter.com/K2TmMhbQrN

— Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (@Kcannonballers) August 29, 2024

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George Wolkow photo: George Wolkow Instagram