Knights and Dash deliver as Barons and Ballers fall flat
Charlotte Knights 7, Rochester Red Wings 5 (Statcast box)
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, the Knights’ (50-54) bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth when they exploded for a three-run rally to take the lead. Jacob Gonzalez got the scoring started with an RBI base hit to even the score. Vinny Capra followed up with a key two-run single, giving Charlotte a 3-1 lead they would never relinquish.
The Knights kept the offensive fire going in the fifth inning, adding four more tallies to their total. Fresh off a right knee sprain, Tim Elko provided the fireworks for the second straight night with a two-run blast, his 18th of the season. The onslaught continued as Blake Sabol ripped an RBI double and pinch-hitter Jacob Amaya (yes, he’s still around) chipped in with a run-scoring single, stretching the lead to 7-1.
TIM ELKO SENDS IT WAY OUTTA HERE! pic.twitter.com/4RxZeJ5hee
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) August 1, 2025
Bryce Wilson worked through five innings, surrendering just a single run on a triple in the second. He did a nice job keeping the Knights in a position to win before the bullpen took over. The arm barn weathered its usual turbulence but ultimately held on for the victory. Caleb Freeman was tagged for a two-run bomb in the sixth inning, trimming the lead to 7-3. Peyton Pallette provided a steadying presence with a spotless seventh inning, though the Red Wings scratched a run off of him in the eighth on a double and a sacrifice fly. Cam Booser entered for the save in the ninth and was able to close out the game, despite yielding a run and leaving the bases loaded.
Rocket City Trash Pandas 3, Birmingham Barons 0
The Trash Pandas’ pitching stifled the Barons’ (59-40) bats, as they failed to push a single run across the plate tonight. They had their opportunities starting in the first inning when Rikuu Nishida and William Bergolla both worked free passes, but a double play quickly snuffed out the rally. In the third, the Barons threatened again with runners on first and second with nobody out, but back-to-back Ks kept them from scoring.
Birmingham’s most promising opportunity came in the fifth inning. After a walk and a sharp single by Ryan Galanie, the Barons had runners on second and third with two outs, but a flyout ended the inning. They gave it one last push in the top of the ninth after two walks and only one out. Nishida singled, and Michael Turner was thrown out at home by old friend Oscar Colás. The Barons mustered only four hits and were 1-for-12 with RISP.
Barons pitchers kept the game close, with the team’s only runs allowed coming in the fifth inning. Southpaw Hagen Smith cruised through his first four innings of work, but ran into trouble in the fifth. After allowing a single and two walks, a wild pitch, and a bunt single plated the first two tallies for the Trash Pandas. Dalton Roach came out and gave up a slick sacrifice fly double play that added a third run, but also ended the frame.
The Barons’ bullpen was stellar, holding Rocket City scoreless for the remainder of the game. Roach, who came in to finish the fifth, also pitched a solid sixth. Jared Kelly took over in the eighth and kept the scoreless streak going.
Winston-Salem Dash 8, Greenville Drive 2
The Dash (38-59) jumped on the scoreboard early, plating two runs in the first inning. With the bases loaded, Drake Logan delivered a clutch two-run base hit to give the home team a quick 2-0 lead. After the Drive tied the game in the third, the Dash immediately responded in the bottom of the frame. They regained the lead when, with the sacks packed again, T.J. McCants plated Samuel Zavala on a sacrifice fly.
The fourth inning was where W-S truly broke the game open, erupting with three more tallies. After Ryan Burrowes and Jacob Burke were hit by pitches, the Dash took advantage of a throwing error to score a run. Then, Zavala drove in one with a single, and McCants picked up his second RBI of the night on another sacrifice fly. The inning also featured aggressive baserunning as they swiped six bags. The Dash tacked on two more runs in the fifth and eighth innings with an RBI single from Jeral Perez and McCants, respectively, to close out the scoring.
LOOK AT THIS SICK PLAY #SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/Ii6I7y8QsL
— Winston-Salem Dash (@WSDashBaseball) July 31, 2025
Starting pitcher Dylan Cumming navigated through five innings, surrendering the only two runs of the contest in the third inning before settling down. The bullpen was equally impressive and strung together four shutout innings to close out the game. Luke Bell took over in the sixth and delivered two scoreless frames, effectively squelching any hope of a Greenville comeback. Jarold Rosado then entered and kept the Drive off the board through the eighth and ninth innings, securing a well-played, solid overall victory for the Dash.
Delmarva Shorebirds 5, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 2 (8 innings)
The Cannon Ballers (46-53) managed to squeeze this one in, but only played eight innings due to a lengthy rain delay. Their bats struggled for most of the contest, as the Shorebirds kept Kanny’s offense off the scoreboard for the first six frames. They tried to mount a comeback attempt in the bottom of the seventh, but it unfortunately wasn’t enough.
The rally began with a hit-by-pitch to Grant Smith and a single from Grant Magill. After a walk to Abraham Núñez loaded the bases, Miguel Santos plated Kanny’s first run with a sacrifice fly. Adrian Gil then followed up with an RBI single, tying the game at 2-2. However, the offense couldn’t push any more runs across and was shut down in the eighth inning, with three consecutive strikeouts ending the threat.
The Ballers’ pitching was effective early on. Luis Reyes allowed one run in the second inning on a single before handing the ball off with one out in the third. Jesús Méndez then took over and was solid until his exit in the sixth.
The game was ultimately decided in the eighth inning. After the Cannon Ballers tied the game in the seventh, the Shorebirds responded with a three-run inning against Ethan Hammerberg. With two outs, the righthander gave up an RBI double and an RBI single, while a throwing error contributed to another run. Kevin Davis came in and finished the inning, but the damage was done, and Kanny couldn’t answer in their half of the eighth.