Tuesday, March 31 — Nashville Sounds 7, Charlotte Knights 3 Tuesday was a clinic in futility. The Knights loaded the bases three times in the first four innings and walked away with nothing to show for it but a 7-3 loss to the Sounds. William Bergolla Jr. ripped an RBI double to drive home Sam Antonacci in the first, but after that, the bats froze up, going 1-for-12 with RISP. Jarred Kelenic, still completely lost in Triple-A, struck out with the sacks packed in both the first and third innings.
Charlotte scraped back to 4-3 in the fourth, thanks to Antonacci and Tanner Murray pulling off a double steal of second and home, but that was the last gasp. The offense flatlined, and not a single runner got past second the rest of the night.
Jonathan Cannon took the hill and promptly got torched by Tyler Black for a two-run shot in the first. From there, it was a slog, and the righthander never found his footing. He dodged traffic until he finally got the hook in the fifth after surrendering five runs on seven hits. The bullpen was absolutely no help either, as Tyler Davis walked Brock Wilkin right out of the gate, then served up a two-run triple to Greg Jones.
The Knights put two on in the ninth, just enough to tease a rally. But Korey Lee and LaMonte Wade Jr. both flew out to center, and that was that.
Wednesday, April 1 — Charlotte Knights 9, Nashville Sounds 3
The Knights kept things simple on Wednesday night. They let Noah Schultz do his thing, and the offense took care of business. The southpaw was in complete control across five innings, allowing just one run, a solo shot by Luis Lara, on two hits and a walk while punching out five. Chicago’s top prospect arm needed just 57 pitches (41 strikes) to hold down the Sounds lineup, using his six-pitch arsenal that included a 95-96 mph sinker and a fastball that crept up to 98. His results speak for themselves so far, with a 2-0 record, 1.00 ERA, and a 0.44 WHIP. How quickly can we get him to Chicago?
And yeah, the offense wasn’t too shabby either. Charlotte piled up 13 hits and nine walks, doing most of their damage the old-fashioned way with 12 singles and a lone double from Oliver Dunn. It certainly wasn’t fancy, but it got the job done. Holding a 5-3 lead heading into the ninth, the Knights tacked on four insurance runs. Early-season returns have this lineup near the top of just about every offensive category, and if it keeps up, South Side fans might have to commit to watching the Knights instead of the White Sox.
Thursday, April 2 — Nashville Sounds 4, Charlotte Knights 0
The Knights’ offense had chances, just not results, in a 4-0 loss to the Sounds. It was the kind of night where traffic on the bases led to nowhere fast. Seven hits should amount to something, but a 0-for-6 mark with runners in scoring position told the real story. Even a double from the red-hot William Bergolla Jr., who’s slashing .565/.630/.739 slash with a 1.369 OPS, couldn’t spark a breakthrough. The Knights knocked, but unfortunately, nobody answered.
On the mound, Hagen Smith, Chicago’s No. 2 pitching prospect, showed exactly what you want to see. The southpaw struck out five over three innings without issuing a walk, a notable step, but unfortunately was tagged for two runs (one earned) thanks in part to shaky defense behind him. Seems that fundamentals are plaguing both the minors and the big league club.
A leadoff single and a one-out double got the trouble started in the second, and things unraveled from there after a throwing error by Dru Baker extended the inning. A fielder’s choice plated the second run, and while Smith limited the damage, the lack of support, both defensively and offensively, made it a long night all around.
Thursday, April 2 — Hill City Howlers 4, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 3
Kannapolis had a 3-2 lead heading into the eighth, but it disappeared in a hurry, as the Howlers scratched across a pair and held on for a 4-3 win. Reliever Riley Eikhoff ran into trouble with a leadoff single and double that quickly evened things at 3-3, and though he managed to get the next two batters out, trouble was brewing. Marco Barrios entered looking to escape the inning, but instead surrendered a go-ahead single that proved to be the difference. Ballgame, just like that.
Lost in the late-inning letdown was a strong showing from starter Max Banks, who was sharp across four innings, allowing just four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. The offense did enough to give him a shot, tallying seven hits, highlighted by a triple from Chicago’s No. 7 prospect Jaden Fauske and an RBI base hit from No. 5 Billy Carlson — both notching their first professional hits. A milestone night, but one that would’ve felt a lot better with a win attached.
