(UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) - In a night full of home runs, the Charlotte Knights fell to the Gwinnett Stripers 7-5 in the opener of their three-game series on Monday night at BB&T Ballpark.
(UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) - In a night full of home runs, the Charlotte Knights fell to the Gwinnett Stripers 7-5 in the opener of their three-game series on Monday night at BB&T Ballpark.
The Knights got the scoring started in the first on Daniel Palka's towering 460-foot solo home run to right that went out of BB&T Ballpark and landed on Mint Street.
Gwinnett responded against Charlotte starter Colton Turner (L, 3-3) in the third. Travis Demeritte's grand slam put Gwinnett in front, and Adam Duvall followed with a solo home run to give the Stripers a 5-1 lead in the third.
Matt Skole got a run back for the Knights with a 426-foot solo shot to right-center in the fourth. The home run was his team-leading 15th of the season, which ranks him third in the International League.
Duvall's second home run of the night increased the Gwinnett lead to 7-2 in the fifth, and that would be enough for the Stripers.
Palka's second home run of the game and 12th of the season went 416 feet to right-center in the bottom of the fifth. Later in the inning, Adam Engel lined a triple down the left field line to plate two more runs, but that was as close as the Knights would get.
Gwinnett relievers Jason Creasy and Rafael De Paula combined to pitch the final three innings and keep the Knights off the board to finish the win.
Out of the Charlotte bullpen, Caleb Frare, Zach Thompson, Connor Walsh, and Carson Fulmer each pitched a scoreless inning to keep the game close. Turner took the loss after giving up seven earned runs in 5.0 innings.
Offensively, Palka led the way with a pair of home runs while Skole scored twice and Engle drove in two as well.
The Knights and Stripers continue their series on Tuesday night. Dylan Cease (4-2, 3.26) is set to start for Charlotte against Gwinnett's Kyle Wright (3-2, 6.90). Pre-game radio coverage of the 7:04 p.m. 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.
