Sandlin's Start Propels Knights to Sunday Victory

CHARLOTTE, NC – The Charlotte Knights went toe-to-toe with one of the top teams in the Pacific Coast League all week long. The visiting Oklahoma City Comets claimed a pair of wins to begin the week; however, it was Charlotte who finished the series strong with wins in three of the last four games, including Sunday evening.

Charlotte topped OKC by a final score of 4-3 in a game that was played with pace. Pitching was the story for both teams and it was the Knights’ right-hander David Sandlin who was the headliner. Sandlin came through with a six-inning quality start and limited the Comets to only two runs.

Offensively, the Knights took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on Ryan Galanie’s ninth Home Run of the year. The visitors took a brief 2-1 advantage with a two-spot in the third inning, but Charlotte’s three-run fifth frame was the difference.

Andy Weber drove in a pair with a bases-loaded single and Rikuu Nishida executed a safety squeeze for the eventual game-winning run. Weber has totaled seven RBI over the Knights’ last four contests.

Javy Guerra, Garrett Schoenle, and Ben Peoples handled the final three stanzas on the mound with People’s earning his fourth save of the season.

The victory improved the Knights record to 38-31 and clinched a winning record in the first half. Charlotte will head to Buffalo for six-games before returning to Truist Field on June 23 to open up the season’s second half against the Rochester Red Wings.