Howlers Win First Game Under New Name

In Hill City’s inaugural game, the Howlers reigned victorious over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 4-3 away from home in Kannapolis.

This game marked the first season opening victory for the franchise since 2021, a 16-3 win over Fredericksburg.

The Hill City offense howled to life to start 2026, scattering 13 hits as a team, with eight of the nine hitters getting on the board including multi-hit games by four different players.

The scoring got started on the other side, as White Sox #5 prospect and 2025 10th overall pick shortstop Billy Carlson drove home a run on his first professional knock in the bottom of the first, giving Kannapolis an early 1-0 lead.

The score remained 1-0 when Joey Oakie was pulled after the third inning, as the righty finished only allowing a single run and punching out four Cannon Ballers in his Opening Day start.

Things stayed quiet after the early Cannon Ballers score, until the top of the fifth, when Howlers shortstop and Guardians top 30 prospect Dauri Fernandez singled in Luis De La Cruz to knot the game up at 1-1.

Kannapolis answered in the bottom of the sixth, with catcher Stiven Flores bringing second baseman Javier Mogollon home on a soft single.

Later that frame, Kannapolis left fielder Nathan Archer tripled to center field to bring designated hitter Boston Smith home to put Hill City down 1-3.

The Howlers answered the two-run inning quickly, cutting the lead to one off the bat of designated hitter Luis De La Cruz, who hit a ground-rule double to get Gabriel Rodriguez home, making it 2-3.

Hill City first baseman Anthony Martinez answered the bell in the top of the eighth with a rocket to dead center, doubling off the base of the wall to bring home outfielder Juneiker Caceres.

Howlers second baseman Gabriel Rodriguez kept the ball rolling in the eighth with a two-out RBI single through the right side of the infield to bring home Martinez, giving Hill City its first lead of the game at 4-3.

Despite allowing two runs in the sixth, Howlers righty Jervis Alfaro put the staff on his back, going 4.2 innings and striking out nine, earning the win.

Right-hander Angel Perez nailed down a one-pitch save, inducing a D’Angelo Tejada flyout to end the game, a 4-3 Howlers victory in their first game under the name.

Hill City will move on to game two with a victory, with tomorrow’s first pitch at 7:00 p.m. in Kannapolis. The Howlers’ Jacob Zibin will duel the Cannon Ballers’ Truman Pauley on the mound for game two of the season and series.