August 2, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: Zanetello knocks four hits, Eaton drills late homer
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There was some extra-inning drama in Virginia, as the teams headed to extras tied 2-2 after the host Tide knotted the contest with a run in the seventh. Nate Eaton provided the fireworks to give the WooSox the lead for good, drilling a two-run home run that helped withstand a run in the bottom half of the 10th. Franklin Arias was 1 for 5 in the leadoff spot and continued getting reps at second base, while his middle infield partner, Vinny Capra, delivered two hits. Alec Gamboa had the start, throwing 4 2/3 innings. He struck out four, walked one and allowed one run on four hits. The other two runs were charged to Devin Sweet and Hobie Harris, who each contributed two frames.
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The Sea Dogs trailed 4-0 going into the bottom of the third and scored seven unanswered runs, capped off by a four-run sixth, to send the fans home happy. Portland only recorded eight hits, but worked seven more walks, including three by Max Ferguson, to get runners on base and put pressure on the Senators. Johanfran Garcia was the only member of the squad to register multiple hits, though Tyler McDonough, Brooks Brannon and Ahbram Liendo all doubled, while Max Ferguson recorded three-bagger. On the mound, Jedixson Paez and Michael Sansone split the pitching duties. The former was charged with all four runs in his five innings of work, allowing seven hits, though he did strike out four. The latter handled the final four frames, scattering three hits and two free passes.
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Greenville got off to a fast start, scoring one in the first and four more in the second, getting off to the races in a big win. They pounded out 19 hits, including seven of the nine with multiple knocks, including Nazzan Zanetello, who was 4 for 6 with a double. Enddy Azocar also contributed three hits, including a home run. It was the professional debut for Jake Schnaffer and Owen Hull and each contributed a pair of hits. Dylan Brown pitched 6 1/3 in his start, striking out nine against one walk. He also limited Asheville to two runs, one of which was earned, on three hits. The final eight outs went to Shea Sprague, who walked three hitters and struck out three more, with three hits and one run on his ledger.
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The Cannon Ballers scored the game's first five runs over the first four frames and while Salem scored three across the eighth and ninth, it wasn't enough, though Franklin Primera and D'Angelo Ortiz contributed three hits, including a double and an RBI for Ortiz. Jose Bello struggled in his start, as he allowed five runs, four of which were earned, in just 3 1/3 innings, surrendering seven hits. Harry Blum came out of the bullpen to replace him and was a stabilizing force, as he didn't allow a run over 1 2/3 frames, but did play with fire, walking a trio of Kannapolis hitters.
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The intra-organizational battle was paused on Friday for weather but was able to be completed on Saturday and it was a runaway victory for Blue, which scored runs in five of its seven at-bats, despite recording just six hits, as Red pitching walked 10 hitters and the defense committed two more errors. Blue's Esterlin Casanova was the only hitter between the two teams to have multiple knocks, though Isaac Velasquez and Gustavo Antunez each hit a home run.
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Player of the Day: Greenville had a huge day at the plate, registering 19 hits and working seven more walks to put plenty of runners on base as part of an 11-run attack. Nazzan Zanetello was a big part of that attack, with a 4-for-6 day, including a double and an RBI. The 2023 second-round selection raised his OPS to .916 on the season, to go along with strong defense at shortstop.
Photo Credit: Nazzan Zanetello by Kelly O'Connor