And then there was one.
The Winston-Salem Dash and the Kannapolis Intimidators both saw their productive seasons come crashing to a halt on Friday, as both teams were swept out of their respective A-ball series.
The Dash fell behind Buies Creek 6-0 through seven, and their 11th-hour scramble to save their season fell short. They scored four in the eighth, but only one in the ninth to lose the third and final game of the Carolina League semifinals.
And yet they had more fun than the Intimidators, who were no-hit in a 1-0 loss to Lakewood to bring their season to an end.
At least the Great Falls Voyagers kept White Sox affiliates from going winless in the postseason. An early 2-0 slipped away from them in the late innings, but a Gunnar Troutwine two-out single in the eighth inning put the Voyagers back in front for good.
Buies Creek 6, Winston-Salem 5
(Buies Creek wins series 3-0)
- Luis Robert went 1-for-3 with a double, HBP and strikeout.
- Luis Gonzalez wore the collar and silver sombrero.
- Nick Madrigal was 1-for-4.
- Blake Rutherford went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Gavin Sheets, 2-for-4 with a homer and a strikeout.
- Ti’Quan Forbes was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Laz Rivera, 1-for-4 with a homer and a strikeout.
- Tyler Johnson: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Lakewood 1, Kannapolis 0
(Lakewood wins series 2-0)
- Luis Curbelo went 0-for-4.
- Steele Walker was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Carlos Perez, 0-for-3.
- Lakewood’s Spencer Howard struck out nine, walked one and threw just 103 pitches in the no-hitter.
Great Falls 3, Billings 2
(Great Falls leads series 1-0)
- Romy Gonzalez went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Lenyn Sosa was 2-for-5 with a strikeout.
- Amado Nunez, 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Bryce Bush doubled twice, got plunked and struck out.
- Gunnar Troutwine went 1-for-3 with a walk.
- Jonathan Stiever: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 WP
- Codi Heuer: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
I don’t think Steele Walker is done with Kannapolis.
Rob Scahill. Because Spencer Adams, Jordan Stephens, Jordan Guerrero and even, yes, Carson Fulmer would have been too fun.
Proof this rebuild is a scam. Swept out of A bll playofs, under performed at AA and mediocre at triple A, To inspire champions, you have to dominate at some level.