Kannapolis

The Kannapolis Intimidators took the lead with a six-run rally in the third inning and won the opener of a critical four-game series with the Hagerstown Suns 12-4 on Thursday in the South Atlantic League. The Intimidators  (68-52, 31-21) lead the Suns (69-53, 29-23) by two games in the race for the Northern Division's second-half title. Kannapolis took a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Hagerstown starter Matthew Grace. Carlos Sanchez hit a one-out single and Dan Black drove him in with a two-out double.

The Kannapolis Intimidators scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and went on to beat the Hagerstown Suns 6-2 on Sunday evening, ending the Suns' season-best seven-game winning streak. The Suns (38-24) dropped a game to Greensboro in the South Atlantic League Northern Division standings after the Grasshoppers ended their five-game losing streak with a 13-4 win over Lexington. Hagerstown trails Greensboro by 2 1/2 games with seven to play in the first half.

It was a stormy day for the Hagerstown Suns on Thursday. And then it rained. A weak defensive front moved through Municipal Stadium as the Suns committed three errors, leading to three unearned runs against starter A.J. Cole in a 6-1 loss to Kannapolis in a rain-shortened first game of an uncompleted doubleheader. “That was a very uncharacteristic game for us,” Suns manager Brian Daubach said. “We have been one of the better defensive teams in the league, but that’s why we are in A ball.

The Hagerstown Suns suddenly have all the subtlety of a runaway locomotive. They seem unstoppable and are picking up steam. The Suns won their seventh straight game and closed to within breathing distance of division-leading Greensboro on Saturday with an 11-6 victory over Kannapolis. Brian Goodwin and Billy Burns had three hits each, while Jason Martinson and Matt Skole each drove in two runs as Hagerstown won its fifth straight game against the Intimidators. In the process, the Suns (38-23)

The Hagerstown Suns scored five runs in the first inning, then took a 9-3 lead with a three-run fifth before holding on for a 9-7 victory over the Kannapolis Intimidators in the South Atlantic League on Friday. The Suns (24-14) jumped on Intimidators starter Kyle Hansen. Tony Renda led off the first with a ground-rule double to right, went to third on Mike McQuillan's sacrifice bunt and scored on Shawn Pleffner's sacrifice fly to center. With two outs, Brandon Miller singled and Will Piwnica-Worms walked to set up Khayyan Norfork's three-run home run to left.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- The Kannapolis Intimidators used two big innings to put away the Hagerstown Suns 10-3 on Tuesday night. The Intimidators scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth off Suns starter Terrence Engles (3-4) to take a 6-0 lead. After Hagerstown cut its deficit in half with a three-run sixth, Kannapolis padded its lead by scoring four in the eighth off Suns reliever Justin Phillabaum. Brent Morel and Christian Marrero helped the Intimidators break the game open in the fifth.

It all seemed a little foreign to the Hagerstown Suns on Tuesday. On the radio, Hagerstown's game was being broadcast in Japanese - a first in minor league baseball - by a pair of the team's interns. On the field, everything changed from the way it had been over the last three days. Hagerstown failed to get the timely hits it enjoyed lately as Kannapolis said "Sayonara" to the Suns with a 2-0 victory. The shutout ended Hagerstown's modest three-game winning streak in which the Suns got clutch hits in the early innings and quality starts from the pitching staff to make them stand up. Suns' starter Mike Musgrave worked into the sixth inning before Kannapolis ended the scoreless game.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. - Logan Johnson, Jim Gallagher and Lyndon Estill each singled off Hagerstown reliever Justin Phillabaum in the 11th inning Tuesday as Kannapolis edged the Suns 10-9 in the South Atlantic League. Hagerstown opened up a 7-0 lead after three innings but were unable to hold it as the Intimidators earned a split of the four-game series. Travis Reagan's RBI single and Brandon Whiting's RBI groundout gave the Suns a 2-0 lead in the second. Stephen King's RBI single, Michael Burgess' two-run double, Reagan's RBI groundout and Whiting's RBI bunt single made it 7-0 in the third.

When it comes to contributions, size doesn't matter. Every little bit helps, while big helpings are fulfilling. On Friday, Colton Willems did more than he has and Jake Smolinski didn't do as much as he could have and it meant all the difference for the Hagerstown Suns. Willems became the first Hagers-town starter to pitch into the seventh inning and Smolinski provided the go-ahead hit in the three-run sixth inning to lift the Suns to an 8-5 victory over Kannapolis. "We've been swinging the bats well," said Suns manager Darnell Coles.

bobp@herald-mail.com Julian Benavidez might soon star in baseball's version of Groundhog Day. Day after day, at-bat after at-bat, it's been the same thing. Opponents have fed the Hagerstown Suns' third baseman a steady diet of breaking balls, low and inside. He'd practically see them in his sleep. But Benavidez crossed up Kannapolis starter Chris Honel on Saturday night. The Intimidator tried to throw him a curve and he knew it was coming. Benavidez stood in and stroked a two-run, two-out single to ignite a three-run fifth inning to lead the Suns to a 5-3 victory over Kannapolis and further separate Hagerstown from the Intimidators and last place in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division.

A trio of Kannapolis pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout Saturday night as the Intimidators, the last-place team in the South Atlantic League Northern Division, blanked the first-place Hagerstown Suns 5-0. The Intimidators (15-24) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and added single runs in the second, third and fourth for all the scoring in the game. Suns starter Pedro Encarnacion (3-3) pitched three innings in the loss, allowing four runs, seven hits and a walk while striking out one. Brandon Miller and Khayyan Norfork each hit a double for the Suns (24-15)

The Hagerstown Suns scored five runs in the first inning, then took a 9-3 lead with a three-run fifth before holding on for a 9-7 victory over the Kannapolis Intimidators in the South Atlantic League on Friday. The Suns (24-14) jumped on Intimidators starter Kyle Hansen. Tony Renda led off the first with a ground-rule double to right, went to third on Mike McQuillan's sacrifice bunt and scored on Shawn Pleffner's sacrifice fly to center. With two outs, Brandon Miller singled and Will Piwnica-Worms walked to set up Khayyan Norfork's three-run home run to left.

The Hagerstown Suns are making a habit of arriving fashionably late. For the second straight game, the Suns did the majority late, scoring nine runs in the final three innings on Thursday for a 10-7 win over Kannapolis. The Suns (23-14) trailed 4-1 before putting up four runs in the seventh and five in the eighth to hold off the Indimidators. Hagerstown, which extended its lead to the South Atlantic League's Northern Division to three games, scored all six of its runs in the final three innings on Wednesday to defeat Greensboro.

If the Hagerstown Suns make the playoffs, it won't be by taking any shortcuts. The easy way isn't all that satisfying. Once again, the Suns came back from behind at home and won in the final at-bat. This time Adrian Nieto crossed the plate on a throwing error in the 10th inning to notch a 7-6 victory over Kannapolis. The Suns and Intimidators played to three lead changes and four ties. Hagerstown needed a run in the ninth to even get to the 10th. With the victory, the Suns (75-51, 33-24)

The Kannapolis Intimidators scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and went on to beat the Hagerstown Suns 6-2 on Sunday evening, ending the Suns' season-best seven-game winning streak. The Suns (38-24) dropped a game to Greensboro in the South Atlantic League Northern Division standings after the Grasshoppers ended their five-game losing streak with a 13-4 win over Lexington. Hagerstown trails Greensboro by 2 1/2 games with seven to play in the first half.

The Hagerstown Suns suddenly have all the subtlety of a runaway locomotive. They seem unstoppable and are picking up steam. The Suns won their seventh straight game and closed to within breathing distance of division-leading Greensboro on Saturday with an 11-6 victory over Kannapolis. Brian Goodwin and Billy Burns had three hits each, while Jason Martinson and Matt Skole each drove in two runs as Hagerstown won its fifth straight game against the Intimidators. In the process, the Suns (38-23)

If anything, the Hagerstown Suns are trying to make things interesting in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division. After matching wins and losses with Greensboro and trailing the Grasshoppers by 6 1/2 games for the better part of the last month, the Suns are firmly in the division leader's rear-view mirror as they head to the first-half finish line. Alex Meyer controlled Kannapolis for six innings and the Suns used home runs by Jason Martinson and Cole Leonida to build an early lead before settling for a 6-5 victory on Thursday before 1,215 fans at Municipal Stadium.

Matt Skole has a reputation for beating teams many different ways. Using his legs probably falls low on that list, though. Skole's running exploits were front and center in three key situations - the last to set up Steven Souza Jr.'s game-winning single in the 11th inning - as the Hagerstown Suns pulled out a 7-6 win over Kannapolis on Tuesday in a South Atlantic League at Municipal Stadium. The Suns (34-23) kept their firm hold on second place in the Northern Division and closed to within 5 1/2 games of division-leading Greensboro with 12 games remaining in the first half.

Call it natural balance. Every ying has its yang. Every hero seems to have its adversary … or adversaries. It's a relationship that keeps things honest and exciting while being extremely aggravating, especially when things don't go the right way. Superman had Lex Luthor, who had kryptonyte. Batman couldn't go anywhere without Riddler, Joker and Penguin … among others. A trio of foes - Greensboro, Kannapolis and Hickory - has all but Bam! Zonk! and Splat! the Hagerstown Suns out of South Atlantic League playoff contention.