CHARLOTTE, NC – The Charlotte Knights opened up their six-game homestand against the Norfolk Tides with a 7-6 victory on Tuesday night. The Knights overcame an early deficit and held on in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure the win.
David Sandlin pitched four strong innings and limited the Tides to one run. The 1-0 lead lasted until Everson Pereira ripped an RBI double into the left field corner in the bottom of the fourth. The next batter, Austin Hays, hit a towering two-run home run and Charlotte took a 3-1 advantage.
Norfolk rallied back with a pair of runs in the fifth, but Andy Weber’s leadoff blast in the bottom of the fifth ignited a four-run frame. Charlotte took a 7-3 lead and held on from there.
The Tides managed to plate one in the eighth and added two more in the ninth; however, Tyler Davis induced a groundout to end the game with the potential tying run at third base.
Nolan Jones and Rikuu Nishida joined Hays with a multi-hit game and Jaden Woods pitched 1.1 scoreless innings out of the Knights bullpen in his Truist Field debut. Tim Elko added a base hit in his first triple-A action since last season.
Both teams are back in action on Wednesday evening with Game Two set for 7:04pm ET.