AP Sports Preview

HICKORY, N.C. (Interstat) — The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers and Hickory Crawdads will meet Saturday at 6 p.m. at L.P. Frans Stadium to decide their three-game series. The forecast calls for 82 degrees with clouds.

Kannapolis (28-26) will send right-hander Max Banks (4-0) to the mound. Banks is the only undefeated pitcher on the Cannon Ballers staff and will face a Hickory lineup that scored four runs in each of the last two games.

Left-hander Jesus Lafalaise will start for Hickory (29-23). Lafalaise allowed three earned runs over 4 1/3 innings in a 4-3 loss to Kannapolis on Thursday, striking out three. He has a 7.38 ERA over his last three starts.

The teams have split the first four games of their season series. Kannapolis won the series opener Thursday 4-3 behind Caedmon Parker, who struck out nine over 4 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run. Parker has struck out 23 batters in 13 1/3 innings over his last three appearances.

James Taussig went 2 for 4 with a home run and an RBI in that game for Kannapolis. Landen Payne tossed two scoreless innings of relief.

Hickory took the series opener June 2 behind Deward Tovar, who went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs in a 6-3 win. On Friday, the Crawdads evened the series at 2-2 with a 4-1 victory.

The Cannon Ballers have won three of their last five games. Hickory has won three of its last four.

The game simulator by Interstat projects a 5-4 Hickory victory.

Kannapolis will send Banks to the mound for his seventh start of the season. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in any start and has struck out 32 batters in 32 innings.

Hickory’s offense has been led by Tovar, who has hit .318 with four home runs and 22 RBIs.

The series continues Sunday with an 2 p.m. matinee. Kannapolis returns home June 9 for a six-game series against Fredricksburg. Hickory visits Charleston for six games beginning June 9.