IL1 Charlotte Knights

Knights Split Doubleheader on Saturday

Published on April 7, 2012 under International League (IL1)
Charlotte Knights News Release


(FORT MILL, SC) -- The Charlotte Knights got six solid innings on the mound from Dylan Axelrod and a big two-run home run by Conor Jackson to defeat the Norfolk Tides 6-3 in game one of the club's doubleheader on Saturday at Knights Stadium.

Dylan Axelrod (1-0, 3.86) struck out the side around a one-out double by Jai Miller to strand him on second base in the top of the second. He also struck out the side in the third to record six straight outs by strikeout.

The Knights (2-0) manufactured a run in the bottom of the second with a little help. Josh Phegley grounded into what could have been a double play but the throw from second was wide and Phegley advanced to second. After a walk and a flyout, Greg Golson blooped a duck-snort between the shortstop and left-fielder to plate Phegley for a 1-0 Knights lead.

Greg Golson hosed down Ryan Adams in the top of the fourth as Adams tried to stretch a single to a double. The defensive play by Golson was a huge one as Josh Bell followed with a towering home run over the right field wall to tie the game at 1.

Jordan Danks led off the home half of the fourth with a triple to the right field corner. Two outs later, Tyler Kuhn made sure Danks would not be stranded by hitting a soft liner into left to give Charlotte a 2-1 advantage.

In the fifth, the Knights opened up the margin by putting up a 4-spot. Jackson followed a Dallas McPherson double with his two-run homer and later in the inning Jim Gallagher double in two more to give Charlotte a five-run edge. Gallagher led the Knights and was second in the International League in 2011 with 39 doubles.

Axelrod was superb in going six innings and giving up just the one run on four hits. He fanned nine to go with only one walk. Charlotte's starters have combined to strike out 17 batters over 11 innings in the first two games. Knights pitchers have struck out a total of 19 in the first two games of the season.

For the second game in a row, things got interesting in the Tides' final at-bat. Wes Whisler came on to close it out and got into trouble. It started innocently enough as Whisler was facing a runner on first with two outs. But Scott Beerer doubled home Jai Miller and Chris Robinson followed by bringing in Beerer with a base knock. With the score 6-3, Whisler walked Matt Antonelli to bring the potential tying run to the plate in the person of star prospect Xavier Avery. Just like in the season opener Friday night, Avery flied out to end the game. He finished the game 1-for-9 on the young season.

Conor Jackson was 2-for-3 for Charlotte with the big 2-run homer.

GAME TWO

(FORT MILL, SC) -- The Knights could not solve Steve Johnson in the second game of the doubleheader Saturday night and fell to the Norfolk Tides 4-1 for their first loss of the season. Johnson (1-0, 1.80) went five innings and surrendered only one earned run off three hits. He struck out five against only one base on balls.

For the third straight game to start the season, a Knights starting pitcher started the game by retiring the first three batters. Starter Brian Bruney (0-1, 6.00) did it in style by striking out the side to bring the total of strikeouts by Knights starters to 20 and the total for all Knights pitchers to 22. The night ended with the starters sitting at 22 strikeouts in 14 innings and the Knights pitchers with 30 overall through the first three games.

Just like the first game of the year on Friday, Dallas McPherson brought home Tyler Kuhn in the first inning, this time with an RBI double.

After retiring the first eight batters of the game, Bruney ran into trouble with two outs in the third inning. He walked Matt Antonelli and Xavier Avery followed with a base hit. Zelous Wheeler's double off the right field wall scored both runners and Norfolk had their first lead of the season 2-1. It could have been worse as a walk and infield hit loaded the bases with two outs. Jamie Hoffman smoked a line drive to left but hit it right to Greg Golson to end the threat and keep the game tight. Bruney finished the night by going three innings. He gave up two runs on three hits while walking two and striking out five.

Deunte Heath followed Bruney and went two innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits with four strikeouts, two walks and one hit batsman.

Dallas McPherson has three RBIs in the first three games of the season for the Knights.

The fourth and final game of the season-opening series is set for Easter Sunday at 2:15 p.m. Gates open at 1:00 p.m. and after the game, kids can run the bases and "hunt" Easter Eggs on the field. LHP Charlie Leesman will take the hill for the Knights and LHP Dana Eveland will toe the rubber for Norfolk.

Check out the Charlotte Knights Statistics

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International League Stories from April 7, 2012


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