Five-Run First Inning Leads to Knights 8-3 Win
Published on August 5, 2015 under International League (IL1)
Charlotte Knights News Release
(Uptown Charlotte, NC) - A five-run first inning and a pair of home runs led to a Charlotte Knights 8-3 victory over the Buffalo Bisons in game two of their three-game series. Jason Coats led the 14-hit attack for the Knights with his 3-for-4 night, and Kyle Drabek delivered another solid performance to earn his sixth victory of the season.
Four consecutive Knights batters reached base in the first inning off of Bisons starter Todd Redmond, with Matt Tuiasosopo and Matt Davidson delivering back-to-back RBI-doubles to give Charlotte a 3-0 lead before recording an out. The first-inning outburst wasn't over however, as Kevan Smith and Drew Garcia each added RBI-singles in the frame to put the Knights ahead 5-0 through one inning of play.
Coats added a sixth run to the Charlotte lead with his 13th home run of the season, a solo shot off of Greg Burke in the fourth inning. The Dallas, Texas native continues to add to his team-high RBI total, now boasting 67 on the season, putting him into a tie with Jesus Aguilar of the Columbus Clippers for second-most in the league.
Drabek offered another strong outing on Wednesday, allowing only two runs on five hits over 5.2 innings pitched. The performance marked the first time Drabek did not toss six complete innings in his last seven starts, but the 27-year-old still earned his sixth win of the season.
Beginning in the fifth inning, Buffalo scored a run in three consecutive frames to cut the Knights lead in half. Roemon Fields - who joined the team on Tuesday - put the Bisons on the 'board in the fifth with an RBI-single, the first run driven in of his Triple-A career. Ty Kelly tallied an RBI-single of his own in the sixth before Luke Scott's RBI-ground-out cut the Charlotte lead to 6-3 in the seventh.
Rob Brantly - who made his Knights debut on Tuesday - added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning with his first home run at BB&T Ballpark. The 26-year-old who has played parts of two seasons at the major-league level tallied four long balls in 30 games with the Birmingham Barons this season.
The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for Charlotte, which tied the team's longest of the season. The Knights will look to start a winning streak with a victory in the series finale over the Bisons on Thursday, as the team plays game three of their ten-game homestand. The rubber match will feature MLB veterans Brad Penny and Randy Wolf in a 7:05 p.m. matchup on Thirsty Thursday™ presented by Hickory Tavern.
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