Knights Drop 11-7 Slugfest to Toledo

In a high-scoring affair, the Charlotte Knights were defeated 11-7 by the Toledo Mud Hens on Thursday night at BB&T Ballpark in the finale of their three-game series.

The Mud Hens quickly jumped out in front off Knights starter Dylan Cease (L, 2-1). A two-run double in the first got the scoring started. D.J. Peterson got a run back in the bottom half with a solo homer to right, his fifth of the season.
The teams traded runs in the second as Toledo got a solo home run before Preston Tucker's double off the left field wall trimmed the visitor's lead to 3-2 after two.
Two unearned runs in the third extended the Toledo lead to 5-2, but an RBI single by Danny Mendick cut the lead to a pair of runs. From there, Toledo got three more runs on a homer to officially close the book on Cease. He gave up seven six runs, four earned, on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts over 3.2 innings.
Trailing 9-3 in the sixth, the Knights clawed back as Mendick led off the inning with a solo home run, his fourth of the season. Making his first start with the Knights, Nate Nolan drew a two-out walk. Ryan Goins followed with a 404-foot blast to left for a two-run home run, his second of the season. Charlie Tilson made it back-to-back homers with a towering solo shot to right, his first homer of the season, to cut the Toledo lead to 9-7 after 6.
But Charlotte would get no closer as Toledo added on with runs in the eighth and ninth to secure the win.
For the Knights, Mendick led the way by going 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and two runs. Alcides Escobar added a pair of hits while all nine Knights reached base in the defeat.
In relief, Juan Minaya gave up two earned runs in a third of an inning. Caleb Frare followed with one earned run in 2.0 innings. Aaron Bummer also threw 2.0 innings, giving up two runs. Evan Marshall threw a scoreless ninth. The loss drops the Knights to 14-7 on the season and 8-2 at home.

The Knights begin a three-game weekend series with the Indianapolis Indians on Friday night. 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. Donny Roach is scheduled to take the mound for the Knights.