Clippers' Offense Struggles in Loss

The Columbus Clippers fell at the hands of the Charlotte Knights, 6-2, tonight at BB&T Ballpark in downtown Charlotte.
The Clippers scattered hits and squandered scoring opportunities, allowing the Knights to take a 1-0 advantage in the best of three series.

Charlotte hopped on the board in the first inning and never looked back against Clippers starter Ryan Merritt. They made it 1-0 in the bottom of the first on a Matt Skole ground ball to short, which Eric Stamets could not field, allowing the first run of the game to score.
They tacked on another in the third when Avisaíl García, down on a rehab assignment from the White Sox, mashed a no-doubt solo homerun off Merritt to make it 2-0.
Merritt, on a rehab assignment of his own, would put one on after earning one out in the fourth before being pulled for Luke Eubank. Eubank proceeded to give up a two-run double to Leury García, another Chicago player down on a rehab assignment, to extend the lead to 4-0.
Merritt's went three and one-third innings, giving up three runs on four hits, with no walks and five strikeouts.
Charlotte added two more in the bottom of the fifth on another Clippers' error and a bases-loaded walk by reliever Robert Zarate.
Down 6-0, the Clippers scored for the first time in the bottom of the eighth inning after Todd Hankins led off with a double. Yu Chang scored him with a groundout, pulling Columbus within 6-1.
The Clippers would add one with an Eric Stamets RBI double in the ninth, but that would be it, as they fell 6-2.
The teams will be back in action tomorrow evening, with first pitch set for 7:04 p.m. at BB&T Ballpark.