Leblanc, Fortes lead Jumbo Shrimp to 7-4 victory

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charles Leblanc notched three hits and three RBIs and Nick Fortes homered and drove in two on Friday and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp beat the Charlotte Knights 7-4 from Truist Field.

Charlotte (9-13) led 3-1 when JJ Bleday and Fortes started the fourth inning with singles against Knights starter Kade McClure (0-2). Leblanc followed by driving in the pair with a double to even the score at three.

Jacksonville (12-10) gained their first lead in the fifth inning. Lewin Díaz singled and Lorenzo Quintana doubled with one out. Bleday followed with a two-run two-bagger to put the Jumbo Shrimp in front. Two batters later, Leblanc chipped in an RBI single for a 6-3 advantage.

The Knights tried to charge back in the bottom of the fifth. Dwight Smith Jr. started the frame with a double before moving to third on a fly out and scoring on an Adam Haseley ground out. Consecutive singles put runners on the corners, but Matthew Kent (1-1) struck out Seby Zavala to preserve the Jacksonville lead.

Kent pitched 5.2 innings of one-run ball on five hits. He struck out three without walking a batter to earn the win. Robert Garcia tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his first Triple-A save.

Charlotte reliever J.B. Olson walked the bases loaded in the sixth, but Jacksonville’s lone run in the frame came on a Díaz RBI ground out.

The Knights initially took the lead in their first at-bats of the game. Haseley singled to lead off the first. Two batters later, Carlos Perez homered for the game’s first runs.

Fortes’ solo shot came in the second, but Smith Jr. hit his own solo homer in the bottom of the second to get the score to 3-1.

Jacksonville sends RHP Max Meyer (1-0, 1.83 ERA) to the mound in Saturday’s 12:05 p.m. first pitch against Knights LHP John Parke (1-1, 7.08 ERA). Coverage begins at 11:50 a.m. on ESPN 690 and ESPN690.com.

ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp offer affordable family fun at 121 Financial Ballpark. Their inaugural season garnered the Southern League’s Don Mincher Organization of the Year, Promotional Trophy and Jimmy Bragan Executive of the Year, won by general manager Harold Craw. The club added its second Promotional Trophy in three years following the 2019 season. The 2021 season marked the return of Triple-A baseball in Jacksonville. To experience the excitement with the terrific value of ticket and group options, call the Jumbo Shrimp at (904) 358-2846 or visit www.jaxshrimp.com.