FredNats win at Kannapolis in extra innings, 5-4

The night started with a bang, and ended with a bang. Viandel Pena blasted the first pitch of the game out of the park, and Orlando Ribalta finished it off in the 10th inning with the tying run in scoring position in a 5-4 extra inning win for the FredNats over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on Thursday night.

Pena hit his first homer as a FredNat on the very first offering from Kannapolis starter Cristian Mena, and it was 1-0 FredNats. This was the first time in nine games that the FredNats scored the first run of the game.

The FredNats would have to come from behind again, however, because in the bottom of the 1st, Kannapolis star shortstop Colson Montgomery hit a two-run homer the opposite way off FredNat starter Rodney Theophile to give the home team a 2-1 lead.

FredNat star shortstop Brady House drove in his team-high 14th run in the 3rd on an infield single to level the game at two. It was the first of two RBIs on the night for the 18-year-old.

With Steven Williams on 3rd base in the 6th, starter Mena balked and Williams came home to score to give the FredNats the lead back at 3-2.

The Carolina League’s leading hitter Colby Smelley doubled home a run in center field in the 6th to tie the game up at three.

House came up again in the 7th with runners in scoring position, and blooped a ball to shallow center that dropped between three Cannon Ballers and conceded the lead back to the FredNats. Fellow 18-year-old T.J. White scored on the play after he walked to lead off the inning.

Terrell Tatum scored the tying run in the 8th on a wild pitch by Peyton Glavine. Both pitching staffs held up after that, and we went to extra innings.

With the new rules that put a runner on 2nd base to start any extra inning, Williams led off the 10th for the FredNats and knocked a base hit off the 2nd base bag to score the runner Branden Bossiere.

Orlando Ribalta held the Kannapolis runner right where he began at 2nd base and pitched a flawless 10th to give the FredNats the win.

The two teams will be back at it at 7 p.m. tomorrow, with the FredNats sending lefty Dustin Saenz to the mound.

The FredNats return home for a six-game homestand vs. the Charleston Riverdogs starting April 26 at 7:05 pm ET. Tickets are available at https://www.milb.com/fredericksburg/tickets/single-game-tickets.