DURHAM, NC – The Charlotte Knights completed a six-game sweep over the Durham Bulls on Sunday, with a dominant 12-5 victory in the series finale. The Knights used a brilliant starting pitching performance by Hagen Smith and never trailed on their way to a sixth straight win.
Charlotte used four separate RBI doubles in the first five frames and built a 5-0 lead. Dustin Harris’ two-bagger opened the scoring; Michael Turner drove in the next three runs with RBI doubles in consecutive plate appearances; and Caden Connor’s double off the wall in left added another run.
The Knights plated two more runs with some small ball in the sixth before they broke out the big swings late. Jason Matthews crushed his first Home Run with the Knights this season and Korey Lee’s three-run mammoth blast all but ended Durham’s comeback hopes.
Smith was the story on the mound. The lefty worked 4.2 innings and struck out nine Bulls for the second time this week. Zach Franklin, Tyler Schweitzer, and Chase Plymell combined to pitch the final 4.1 frames.
Turner finished the contest 3-for-5 and Braden Montgomery reached base four times in the win. Harris and Andy Weber both delivered a pair of base hits.
The Knights currently lead all of Triple-A with a +92 run differential and sit only 3.5 games back of first place in the International League. The six-game sweep keeps the door ajar for a potential first half playoff spot.
Next up is an interleague series at Truist Field against the Oklahoma City Comets, triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The upcoming series carries massive playoff implications for both teams and it begins on Tuesday with the first pitch set for 6:05pm ET.