(20-13) Gwinnett Stripers 9, (16-17) Charlotte Knights 10
- Brett Wisley, 2B: 2-for-5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, R, .313/.341/.525
- DaShawn Keirsey Jr., CF: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, .264/.306/.451
- Aaron Schunk, 3B: 2-for-4, 2 2B, .348/.403/.563
- Lucas Braun, SP: 4IP 4H 3ER 4BB 2K, 4.13 ERA
A late collapse by the bullpen cost the Stripers a win, as the Knights scored seven of the last three innings of the game, including five in the eighth inning alone, to pick up the win. Lucas Braun got the start for the Stripers and was okay, navigating through four innings and allowing three earned runs. He was not his normal self as his command wavered shown by his four walks, and the fact that he threw just 44 strikes on 84 pitches. Braun was given a two run lead after the Stripers opened
the game – scoring a pair of runs in the first inning following a Brett Wisely two run single.
The lead would be erased in the bottom of the second inning when Braun allowed two doubles, a single, and a pair of walks to the Knights up 3-0. The Stripers would then tie the game again in the fourth inning after back-to-back doubles by Aaron Schunk and Brett Wisely. The Stripers would respond once again in the sixth inning after….who else but Brett Wisely started the inning with a 103.4 MPH triple to center. Tristin English would hit a sac fly to push the lead to Gwinnett at 4-3. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. would then follow up that with his second homer of the season, and his first of the game, a 401’ blast.
After exchanging runs scored in the seventh inning, the Stripers entered the eighth inning up 6-4 when DaShawn Keirsey hit his second homer of the game, quickly followed by a solo homer by Chadwick Tromp to push the lead to 8-4.
With a four run lead the Stripers would turn to Blayne Enlow who was unfortunately horrendous (0.0IP 4H 5ER 1BB 2K, 2 HR) – entering the game and going BB, 1B, 2B, HR, HR, all on 17 pitches – swinging the game back to the Knights at 9-8. Rowdy Tellez would then tie the game once again, in the ninth inning, after hitting his seventh homer of the season – a 408’ homer with an exit velocity of 110.7 MPH.
Working his second inning of relief, James Karinchak struggled in the ninth – ultimately blowing the save on a bases loaded single, giving the Knights a walk off win.
(14-13) Montgomery Biscuits 18, (13-14) Columbus Clingstones 10
- Lizandro Espinoza, CF: 3-for-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, .282/.389/.551
- Drew Compton, PH-1B: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, R, .114/.203/.200
- Archer Brookman, C: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R, .372/.471/.581
- Ian Mejia, SP: 1IP 5H 6ER 4BB 0K, 54.00 ERA
A complete disaster of a pitching performance by the Columbus Clingstones staff who gave up a combined eight walks, 19 hits, 18 runs, and 12 extra-base hits, including EIGHT homers. Jacob Wallace (2IP 1H 0R 0BB 4K) was the only pitcher to have a scoreless outing. Ian Mejia kind of set the tone for the game – having a very un-Ian Mejia like start as he struggled mightily with his command giving up four walks in the single inning he pitched. He needed a robust 48 pitches to get through the first which necessitated the move to the bullpen for the rest of the game.
It’s unfortunate because the Clingstones offense was really strong – picking up five walks, 13 hits, and scoring 10 runs themselves. The Clingstones found themselves down 11-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning when Drew Compton hit this two run homer.
Finding themselves now down 13-3, Lizandro Espinoza who is on an absolute heater, hit a two run homer of his own to lessen the deficit to…..13-5 in the sixth inning. After going up two runs in the top of the seventh, Ethan Workinger, and Cal Conley would hit back-to-back homers to reduce the new deficit to 15-7. Finally, moving onto the bottom of the eighth inning when the Clingstones then found themselves 18-7, Archer Brookman hit a two run homer, and Patrick Clohisy would hit a run scoring double to make it 18-10.
Of note, rehabbing Ha-Seong Kim went 1-for-4 with a walk, and run scored and is hitting .333/.538/.333 in four games so far.
(17-10) Bowling Green Hot Rods 5, (14-13) Rome Emperors 6
- John Gil, SS: 2-for-5, HR, RBI, R, .290/.386/.473
- Eric Hartman, CF: 2-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, R, .310/.389/.630
- Cody Miller, 2B: 2-for-3, 2 BB, R, .183/.284/.301
- Cam Caminiti, SP: 5IP 4H 0ER 2BB 5K, 4.66 ERA
Cam Caminiti righted a bit of the ship, putting together a solid start in the lone win for the Braves minor league. Cam picked up 10 whiffs, utilizing his four seam, sweeper, changeup combination. He did get stronger as the outing went on, getting his first 1-2-3 inning in the fourth inning while picking up his final whiff on the last batter he faced. After a rough last couple of starts for Cam, surrendering 10 earned runs over 9.1 innings of work, Cam was able to locate his fastball a bit better and was a lot more in control.
He left the game with the score tied 0-0 and was relieved by David Rodriguez who was rudely greeted by a solo homer on his second pitch. That lead would last until the eighth inning when the Emperors would extend it to 4-0 after Justin Long came into the game, walking his first two batters. A sacrifice bunt would put runners on second and third before a two out single scored two runs to extend the Hot Rods lead to 3-0. They would then add onto the lead with a run scoring double to push the lead to 4-0.
Down 4-0, the Emperors offense joined the conversation in the eighth inning and it all began with John Gil who collected his fourth homer of the season to make it 4-1. Later in the inning Colby Jones would add on another run with a sacrifice fly that would score Eric Hartman, and put Dixon Williams on third. An errant pickoff by the pitcher would then allow Dixon Williams to score and make the deficit just one at 4-3. Logan Braunschweig would then hit a two out double to tie the game at 4-4.
After exchanging zeroes in the ninth inning the game headed to extra innings when the Hot Rods singled in the ghost runner to take back the lead at 5-4. Isaac Gallegos, working his second inning, would then get the next three batters out to keep it 5-4 and allow the Emperors a legitimate chance to win it. An RBI single by Mason Guerra tied the game, and a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Colin Burgess would walk it off for the Emperors.
(10-17) Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 7, (14-13) Augusta GreenJackets 6
- Tate Southisene, 2B: 1-for-4, R, BB, SB (20), .271/.441/.479
- Alex Lodise, SS: 2-for-5, RBI, .254/.323/.386
- Tanner Smith, C: 4-for-5, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, .298/.344/.702
- Dalton McIntyre, CF: 2-for-3, BB, R, 2 SB, .333/.418/.521
- Davis Polo, SP: 4IP 4H 4ER 3BB 5K, 2.70 ERA
It was a rough start of the game for Davis Polo who has had a great return to baseball in 2026. He surrendered a home run on the second pitch of the game, before allowing a single, stolen base, walk, double, walk, and one more walk before he registered his first out of the game. He would go on to allow a total of four runs in that first before he really got things together.
He would face just one batter over the minimum over the next three innings and leave the game down just two runs thanks to Tanner Smith’s first homer of the game, that would score Tate Southisene.
Tanner Smith would then add his second home run of the game in the fifth inning to make it 4-3.
Kendy Richard (4IP 7H 3ER 1BB 4K, 2 HR), having a very rough start to 2026, came in for Davis Polo and struggled again including allowing a homer, double, and triple to give Kannapolis a 6-3 lead, in just a single inning. However, the GreenJackets would respond with two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth via an rbi single by Dallas Macias, and Alex Lodise making it a one run game again.
The back-and-forth would continue the next inning with a home run by the Cannon Ballers to extend their lead to 7-5. HOWEVER, it was Tanner Smith yet again, this time in the seventh inning – who would homer for the third time in the game and make the game 7-6.
Styven Paez would pitch a scoreless ninth inning to give the GreenJackets a chance to tie it, or walk it off, in the bottom of the ninth. Alex Lodise would reach on the first pitch of the ninth, hitting a single to left but would be stranded there as the GreenJackets would fall.
