Cannon Ballers Walk Away Playoff Hopes in 14-8 Loss to Charleston

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — A night full of free passes and missed chances doomed the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Tuesday at Atrium Health Ballpark, as five pitchers combined to walk a season-high 13 batters in a 14-8 loss to the Charleston RiverDogs.

The defeat—Kannapolis’ fifth in a row—officially eliminates the Ballers from first-half playoff contention. With just two games left and trailing Columbia by two games, Kannapolis no longer holds the tiebreaker over the Fireflies. Meanwhile, Charleston’s win keeps them in the playoff hunt, now just one game back and tied with Augusta in a tight race.

Starter Seth Keener lasted four innings, giving up six runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out six. The bullpen didn’t fare any better, issuing 10 more walks and tossing eight wild pitches. Only reliever Blake Shepardson escaped without allowing a run.

Despite the struggles on the mound, the Cannon Ballers briefly fought their way back into the game. Down 6-1, Kannapolis erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to take an 8-6 lead, sparked by multi-RBI nights from Miguel Santos and Nathan Archer. Five Ballers posted multi-hit games in the effort.

But Charleston answered right back. The RiverDogs retook the lead in the sixth and never looked back, scoring in each of the final four innings to cap off a run of eight unanswered. Charleston’s offense was powered early by back-to-back home runs from Theo Gillen and Connor Hujsak, with four different hitters finishing with multiple RBIs.

With their playoff hopes dashed, Kannapolis can still impact the standings in spoiler mode. The Ballers and RiverDogs meet again Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. at Atrium Health Ballpark. LHP Grant Umberger is set to start for Kannapolis, while Charleston counters with top Rays prospect RHP Trevor Harrison.

Tickets & Promotions
Single-game tickets, season ticket packages, and 10-game mini plans for the 2025 season are available now. Visit kcballers.com or call the Cannon Ballers ticket office at (704) 932-3267 to grab your seats and experience the excitement of Cannon Ballers baseball in their fifth season at Atrium Health Ballpark.