Charlotte Knights 7, Memphis Redbirds 3
The Knights (5-5) put a massive third inning together en route to a 7-3 victory over the red-hot Redbirds (9-2).
Knights starter and star prospect Noah Schultz, 22, ran into some trouble in the top of the first. César Prieto led off the game with a double, and Joshua Báez followed with an RBI single. Báez proceeded to score an unearned run with two outs after an error by Jacob Gonzalez. However, Schultz recovered nicely, and he only allowed one earned run on two hits
in five innings, and he racked up nine strikeouts.
The Knights did not score during the first two innings, but they made up for lost time and then some in the third. After a walk to Josh Breaux and a single by William Bergolla Jr., Korey Lee launched a three-run homer to turn the game around and give Charlotte a 3-2 lead. The Knights led from that point forward, but they were not done. Oliver Dunn was hit by a pitch, and Gonzalez crushed his third homer of the year to extend Charlotte’s lead to three. The Knights tacked on two more in the third, as Breaux hit an RBI single, and Bergolla drew a walk with the bases loaded. By the end of the frame, the Knights led by a score of 7-2.
Charlotte’s bullpen performed well, only allowing one run on one hit in four innings, so Charlotte held on for a convincing victory.
Chattanooga Lookouts 4, Birmingham Barons 2
The Barons (2-3) fell behind and could not catch up, so Chattanooga (5-0) continued its winning streak in the early going.
It was not the finest day for Barons starter Christian Oppor, 21. Oppor made a splash in 2025, posting a 3.08 ERA and a 3.50 FIP in 87 2/3 innings, mostly with the Dash. However, Oppor’s first start with the Barons was rough. Oppor allowed two in the first and two in the second, and that turned out to be enough for the Lookouts.
The Barons bullpen did not allow any runs in 6 1/3 innings, that effort went by the wayside. Birmingham finished 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and only collected four hits overall. Adam Fogel reached on an error that allowed Jeral Perez to score in the fourth. The Barons scored their other run on a wild pitch that allowed Wilfred Veras to score in the sixth. However, that was not enough for the Barons to complete the comeback.
Winston-Salem Dash 5, Frederick Keys 4
The Dash (3-2) won a nail-biter against the Keys (2-2), holding off a ninth inning rally and stranding the potential tying run 90 feet away.
In the bottom of the first, the Dash offense got started early, with Kyle Lodise leading off with a double. With one out, Caleb Bonemer was hit by a pitch, and after back-to-back walks to Anthony DePino and George Wolkow brought in the game’s first run. Finally, with two outs, Colby Shelton reached on an error that allowed two runs to score, and suddenly, Winston-Salem had a 3-0 lead.
Dash starter Gabe Davis, 22, delivered three shutout innings, and he only needed 37 pitches to make it that far. However, Frankeli Arias did not have it as easy, as he allowed three runs on two hits while only retiring two batters.
With the game still tied at three, Alec Makarewicz doubled to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Shelton followed with an RBI single to put Winston-Salem back on top, 4-3.
Dash reliever Seth Keener had a solid appearance, but the seventh was not a picnic. After a leadoff single, a stolen base, and an RBI single, the game was tied once again.
Winston-Salem made sure that the game did not remain tied for long. In the bottom of the seventh, Ely Brown drew a walk, and Bonemer doubled to put a pair in scoring position. From there, a wild pitch allowed Brown to score the go-ahead run, and the Dash did not look back. The Keys made it interesting in the ninth, putting the potential tying run on third with two outs. However, Aric McAtee picked up a clutch save by forcing a ground out to end the game.
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 4, Hickory Crawdads 0
The Cannon Ballers (2-3) pitching staff could not be solved, and Hickory (3-2) hardly stood a chance in this one.
Kannapolis starter Riley Eikhoff, 24, was fantastic, only allowing one hit and striking out seven in five frames. Jackson Nove, Ryan Schiefer, and Pierce George combined to pitch four shutout innings to complete the all-around masterpiece.
Since the pitching staff was on a different level, the hitters did not have to do much, but they took care of business. With runners on first and second with one out in the fifth, Billy Carlson drove in the game’s first run with a single. Ryan Galvan added an RBI single, and Nathan Archer drew a walk with the bases loaded to make the score 3-0. Archer also drove in the fourth and final run of the game with a single in the seventh to drive in Boston Smith.
