Hickory Looks to Continue Dominance of Kannapolis in Series Finale

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (Interstat) — The Hickory Crawdads will aim for a series victory when they conclude a six-game set against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Sunday afternoon at Atrium Health Ballpark.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. under partly cloudy skies with a game-time temperature near 82 degrees.

The Crawdads (5-2) have controlled the recent head-to-head matchup, winning four of the first five games this series, including a 6-5 victory on Saturday. Hickory has taken three consecutive one-run decisions from the Cannon Ballers (2-5).

Hickory will send right-hander Jesus Lafalaise (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound for his first start of the season. He will be opposed by a Kannapolis starter yet to be announced.

A key figure for Hickory has been reliever J.D. McReynolds, who has been dominant in recent appearances against Kannapolis. In three outings this month, including two in this series, he has pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out nine.

For the struggling Cannon Ballers, reliever Garrett Wright has been a bright spot. Over his last two appearances, both against Hickory, he has thrown four hitless innings with eight strikeouts, though both resulted in team losses.

The teams have played tightly contested games, with four of their five meetings this season decided by a single run. Interstat’s game simulator projects another close finish, favoring Hickory 4-3.

Following Sunday’s game, Hickory returns home to begin a series against the Salem RidgeYaks on Tuesday. Kannapolis hits the road for a six-game series at the Myrtle Beach Pelicans starting Tuesday.