SPORTS

Trevor Candelaria celebrates in a previous win for the ‘Cats.

KANNAPOLIS — Ryan Wilson and John Hosmer hit back-to-back home runs as part of a four-run third inning, and Nolan DeVos shut the door with his second save of the week to help lead Davidson past Wofford 7-6 at Atrium Health Ballpark Tuesday night.

The new ballpark in Kannapolis was the site of the Wildcats win over Wofford.

Playing just the second-ever game at the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers’ new park, the Wildcats (13-9) won for the eighth time in nine games and avenged the only setback in that stretch, a 5-1 loss to the Terriers in Spartanburg a week ago.

“Our guys were excited to play here,” said coach Rucker Taylor. “For us to come out and play well and get the win, it was just a great night.”

Wilson broke a scoreless tie in the third with a three-run home run onto the berm beyond the left-center wall. Before the celebration faded in the dugout, Hosmer went deep with a shot down the left field line. Hosmer’s blast, the first-ever to leave the ballpark, was his team-best fifth of the season and made it 4-0.

The Wildcats extended their lead to 7-1 with three runs in the fifth when Ruben Fontes’ double to right-center drove in Alex Fedje-Johnson, and Trevor Candelaria brought in Wilson and Fontes with a single to left.

Wofford rallied and got within a run with five runs on five hits and an error in the eighth, but DeVos entered in the ninth and wrapped it up with a 1-2-3 inning, including assisting on a 1-3 putout to end it.

Along with Hosmer’s leave-the-yard blast, the Wildcats also turned the first two 6-4-3 double plays in park history. Fedje-Johnson, Matthew Gravely and Wilson combined to turn two in both the fourth and fifth innings.