Seven-Run First Pushes Knights Past Toledo 9-6

UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) - The Charlotte Knights jumped out to a big lead early and held on to defeat the Toledo Mud Hens 9-6 on Wednesday night at BB&T Ballpark. The win improves the Knights record to 14-6 on the season, their best start through 20 games since moving Uptown in 2014.

After 11 runs on Tuesday night, the Knights wasted no time getting in front on Wednesday. Matt Skole got the scoring started with a two-run double off the base of the right field wall, scoring Charlie Tilson and Alcides Escobar. From there, D.J. Peterson, Preston Tucker, Danny Mendick, and Ryan Goins all drew walks to score two more runs and force the Mud Hens to go to the bullpen. Against the reliever, Tilson hit a fly ball off the top of the right field wall. Tucker, Mendick, and Goins scored to clear the bases, but Tilson was thrown out at the plate in search of an inside-the-park grand slam to end the inning with Charlotte in front 7-0.
That proved to be plenty of support for starter Jordan Stephens (W, 2-2). Over 6.0 solid innings, he scattered seven hits for three runs, two earned, with one walk and six strikeouts in a quality start to earn his second win of the season.
Skole added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run to right field, his team-leading sixth homer of the season. Mendick capped the Charlotte scoring with an RBI single to center, scoring Peterson to increase the lead to 9-3.
In relief for the Knights, Colton Turner struck out the side in the seventh. The Mud Hens then got closer with three runs in the eighth off Juan Minaya, but Ian Hamilton shut the door in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.
For the Knights, Tilson led the way by going 3-for-5 with the three-run triple. Skole was 2-for-4 with three RBI while Mendick drove in a pair of runs in the victory.  

The Knights conclude their series with the Mud Hens with a 7:04 p.m. matchup on Thursday. Pre-game radio coverage of the 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. Dylan Cease is set to start for the Knights.