Tides Offense Piles on Charlotte in 5th Straight Win

CHARLOTTE, NC --- The Norfolk Tides (7-1) defeated the Charlotte Knights (1-7), 13-1, on Saturday night at Truist Field. The Tides notched their 300th all-time win against Charlotte after collecting 17 hits and combining to allow just four base runners.

Norfolk began the scoring once again Saturday night when Connor Norby launched a two-run home run in the top of the third, bringing in Jackson Holliday to give the Tides a 2-0 lead. Following two straight walks and a single from Kyle Stowers, Nick Maton extended the lead with an RBI single that brought home Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad. To cap off the five-run inning, Ryan McKenna brought home Stowers on an RBI single.

Stowers then walked to lead off the top of the fifth, and Peyton Burdick followed with a single to set up Maton. The Tides second baseman socked an RBI single through the right side of the infield to plate Stowers and Burdick and give Norfolk a 7-1 lead.

Burdick further provided the Tides with insurance runs in the top of the sixth when he blasted his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot that traveled 408 feet that brought in Mayo and put Norfolk up 9-1. McKenna tacked on another run in the top of the seventh on his first home run of the season, a solo shot that put the Tides up 10-1.

Then in the top of the eighth, Holliday socked an RBI single through the infield to give the TIdes an 11-1 lead. In the following at bat, Norby doubled down the left field line to plate two more runners and lift Norfolk to a 13-1 lead.

The final game of the series is scheduled at 1:05 p.m. tomorrow night. The Tides are scheduled to throw LHP Cade Povich (1-0, 0.00), as they look for the six-game series sweep against RHP Chad Kuhl going for the Knights.

POSTGAME NOTES

Home Run Party Continues: With three more home runs in Saturday night’s victory, the Tides have now notched eight straight multi-homer games to start the season...this mark continues their franchise record (since 2005) set Friday night when the Tides launched three homers...Norfolk maintains their lead atop all of professional baseball with 30 homers, averaging 3.7 per game.

John Means Business: In his second start of the season, John Means allowed just one earned run on one hit and one walk through three innings...after going 1.0 inning in his first start on March 31 against Durham, Means fanned four Charlotte batters, marking the seventh time in his last 12 appearances that he’s struck out at least four batters.

Connor Can Hit: Collecting his fourth home run of the season tonight was Connor Norby...he ended the night 3-for-6 with a run, a double and four RBI...Norby now has eight extra base hits through eight games thus far and is batting .385 (15-for-39)...the Tides have now seen at least one hitter drive in three runners in each of the five games against Charlotte.

McKenna Madness: Pacing all hitters in Saturday night’s game was Ryan McKenna...the Tides outfielder finished 3-for-6 at the plate with a run, a home run and two RBI...the three hits are the most for McKenna in a game since August 15, 2022 at Toronto.