news-record.com

KANNAPOLIS – Marcell Ozuna went 3-for-5 with a home run, and his RBI single in the top of the 10^th inning helped the Greensboro Grasshoppers clinch a South Atlantic League playoff spot with a 9-6 victory over the Kannapolis Intimidators on a rainy Labor Day at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium.

The Hoppers open the playoffs at 7 p.m. Wednesday at NewBridge Bank Park against the Hickory Crawdads, who finished one game ahead of Greensboro in the Northern Division’s first-half standings. After a day off Thursday, Hickory will host games two and three (if necessary) of the best-of-three series on Friday and Saturday.

The series winner advances to the Sally League’s best-of-five championship series.

This is the first time a Greensboro team has reached the league playoffs since the Yankees-affiliated Bats made it in 1999.

The Hoppers got to the playoffs thanks to a strong finish. They won 11 of their last 12 games and went 21-7 after a rainout in Hagerstown, Md., on Aug. 6.

Even so, the final game of the season was a must-win game.

The Hoppers jumped out to a 5-1 lead, thanks in part to home runs by Ozuna and Christian Yelich.

But the Intimidators tied it with three runs in the eighth of lefty set-up man Grant Dayton and a run in the ninth off closer Michael Brady.

The Hoppers scored three in the top of the 10^th inning. Noah Perio hit a one-out double and scored on Ozuna’s base hit. Yelich was walked intentionally, and J.T. Realmuto hit a two-out, two-run double.

Brady (7-1) got the win in relief when Jordan Conley struck out the side in the bottom of the 10^th for his third save in three chances this year.