(NORFOLK, VA) - With an offensive outburst in the opener and a complete game on the mound in the nightcap, the Charlotte Knights earned a pair of wins by scores of 10-3 and 4-3 over the Norfolk Tides on Friday night at Harbor Park.
(NORFOLK, VA) - With an offensive outburst in the opener and a complete game on the mound in the nightcap, the Charlotte Knights earned a pair of wins by scores of 10-3 and 4-3 over the Norfolk Tides on Friday night at Harbor Park.
On May 5, the Knights jumped out to a 5-3 lead behind Matt Skole's two-run homer, Danny Mendick's RBI single, Charlie Tilson's run scoring ground out, and a Norfolk error. Dylan Cease threw 4.0 innings, giving up one run on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts. However, play was suspended due to rain in the bottom of the fifth.
Once play resumed on Friday, Zach Thompson induced an inning-ending double play to get through the fifth inning with Charlotte in front. The reliever then kept the Tides off the board for the rest of his outing. Over 3.1 scoreless innings, Thompson gave up just one hit while striking out three to earn the win.
Charlotte added to the lead on a two-run double from Paulo Orlando in the ninth. The next hitter, Trey Michalczewski, broke his bat on a swing but was still able to crush the ball over the right field fence for a three-run home run, his first at the Triple-A level, to increase the Knights' lead to 10-3 in the ninth.
Jimmy Cordero finished the win with a scoreless bottom of the ninth to complete the four-out save. In his Triple-A debut, Michalczewski went 2-for-2 with the three-run homer.
In the nightcap, Charlotte struck first on Mendick's RBI double in the top of the second. However, the Tides quickly responded with a run to tie the game in the bottom of the frame.
A two-run home run from Ryan Mountcastle gave the Tides a 3-1 lead in the third off Charlotte starter Justin Nicolino. From there, the lefty was in fine form to keep the Tides bats at bay.
Mendick's first triple of the season scored Alcides Escobar an inning later to trim the Tides' lead to 3-2. That would remain the score until the top of the sixth when the Knights loaded the bases with two outs. Iván De Jesús Jr. provided the clutch hit the Knights were looking for with a sharp single to center, scoring two runs to propel the Knights in front.
Given a lead, Nicolino (W, 6-3) held on for the final two innings to finish the win, getting his final out of the night with the tying run on third base in the bottom of the seventh.
In throwing the first complete game victory by a Knight this season, Nicolino tossed 7.0 innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
The Knights and Tides continue their series on Saturday night. Kyle Kubat (1-0, 5.40) is scheduled to start for Charlotte. Pre-game radio coverage of the 7:05 p.m. game is set for 6:50 p.m. on 730 The Game ESPN Charlotte. The "Voice of the Charlotte Knights" Matt Swierad will have the call for all of the action
