Skole Smashes Knights Past Red Wings 7-3

(UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) - Behind a strong overall pitching performance and another timely night at the plate, the Charlotte Knights defeated the Rochester Red Wings 7-3 in game two of their three-game series on Wednesday night at BB&T Ballpark.

After seven home runs on Tuesday night, the Knights wasted little time in getting back on the board on Wednesday. Danny Mendick led off the bottom of the first with a single to left. Three batters later, Matt Skole continued his torrid pace with a towering 441-foot two-run homer to right to put Charlotte in front in their first turn at the plate.
The Red Wings responded with two runs in the second to tie the game off Charlotte starter Jordan Guerrero. A solo home run from Jordany Valdespin gave Rochester a 3-2 lead in the sixth. Matt Tomshaw entered in relief with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth and induced an inning-ending double play to strand the runners and keep the Knights within a run.
Skole made sure the visitors' lead wouldn't last by blasting another two-run homer, his second of the night and team-leading 12th of the season, to restore the Charlotte lead at 4-3 after six.
Tomshaw induced another double play to end the seventh. In his BB&T Ballpark debut, José Ruiz recorded a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless eighth to keep Charlotte ahead.
The Knights got insurance in the bottom of the eighth as Seby Zavala drove in two runs with a double to left before scoring on Alcides Escobar's double to center, giving the Knights a 7-3 lead.
Ruiz returned to the mound in the ninth and finished off the Red Wings to earn his second save. Tomshaw (W, 1-1) earned his first Charlotte win of the season with 1.2 scoreless relief innings. In a solid start, Guerrero gave up three runs with four walks and four strikeouts over 5.1 innings.
Skole led the way offensively with two home runs and four RBI while Zavala and Daniel Palka each recorded two hits in the win. In his second game with the Knights on a MLB rehab assignment, Eloy Jiménez went 1-for-2 with a single.  

Charlotte and Rochester conclude their series on Thursday night at BB&T Ballpark. Colton Turner (2-1, 5.14) is scheduled to get the start for the Knights. Pre-game radio coverage of the 7:04 p.m. game is set for 6:50 p.m. on 730 The Game ESPN Charlotte. The "Voice of the Charlotte Knights" Matt Swierad and long-time Knights radio broadcaster Mike Pacheco will have the call for all of the action.