Knights Drop Opener in Syracuse 10-6 on Tuesday

(SYRACUSE, NY) -- Jason Bourgeois singled, doubled, and tripled on Tuesday, falling just a home run short of the cycle as the Charlotte Knights fell to the Syracuse Chiefs by a score of 10-6 in the opening game of their three-game series from NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse, NY on Tuesday.  

RHP Paolo Espino (2-4, 3.54) allowed three runs on just four hits over six innings to earn the game one victory. Espino, the cousin of former Knights catcher Damaso Espino, walked two batters and struck-out five on the night. He was helped out by his offense, which used 14 hits to take the first game of the series.

Matt den Dekker had four hits and three RBIs to help power the Syracuse offense on Tuesday in the first of three games in the series. den Dekker also swiped his fourth base of the season in the team's win on Tuesday.

The Chiefs scored first on Tuesday and did so in the bottom of the second inning off Charlotte RHP Jacob Turner, who was saddled with the loss. Turner (3-2, 5.33) had his struggles on the day and allowed a total of eight runs on 11 hits over 5.1 innings pitched. After allowing an RBI groundout to Pedro Severino in the first inning, Turner was charged with three runs in the third and four more in the sixth. Jason Martinson broke open the game in the third with a three-run double.

The Syracuse trio of den Dekker, Brian Goodwin, and Martinson combined to drive in nine of the 10 runs on the day. Each player contributed three RBIs each. Overall, den Dekker finished the game a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, one run scored, one walk, and three RBIs.

Offensively for the Knights, Bourgeois once again paced the offense. The All Knights Stadium Team member finished the day by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. In six games with the Knights this season, the 34-year-old outfielder is hitting a remarkable .565. He has hit safely in all six games he's played in with Charlotte in 2016. Tim Anderson went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a double. The Chicago White Sox top prospect is now batting .309 on the season.

Before the game, the Knights announced a number of roster moves, including the return of infielder Carlos Sanchez from Chicago. Sanchez went 0-for-4 on the night with an RBI. 1B Nicky Delmonico, who was leading the Southern League with a .338 batting average and 10 home runs, made his Knights debut. He went 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. RHP Charlie Shirek and 1B Travis Ishikawa were released by the organization before the game.

The two teams will continue their series on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. in game two of the series. Pre-game radio coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday on ESPN 730 AM and CharlotteKnights.com. The "Voice of the Charlotte Knights" Matt Swierad will have the call for all of the action.