Gwinnett Stripers 5, Charlotte Knights 2
Both the Knights (74-64) and Stripers (70-67) scored in the first, and came up with five hits each in the game, but Charlotte struck out 18 times as a team and were never able to get any runners in scoring position, losing in back-to-back nights to split the series. Both of the Knights runs came from solo shots (Tim Elko in the first, Jake Cave in the fourth), but they otherwise couldn’t do anything at the plate and left four runners stranded.

In his 10th Triple-A start of the season, Noah Schultz was solid through four, only allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out four. The southpaw now holds a 2.01 ERA across 44 2/3 frames. The Charlotte bullpen cruised for three straight innings in relief of Schultz, and only one run was given up among Aidan Anderson, Chris Murphy and Tanner McDougal.

Things were going well through seven, and the Knights held a 2-1 lead until Gwinnett plated four in the bottom of the eighth to take command of the game. A pair of walks and a base hit loaded the bases up against Tyler Gilbert, but Charlotte wasn’t taking any risks and and turned to Jairo Iriarte to help clean up the mess. Iriarte almost made it, forcing a fly out without surrendering a run, and striking out the second batter he faced. Iriarte then was forced to face lefty slugger Rowdy Tellez, who blasted a pinch-hit grand slam to give the Stripers a 5-2 lead; three of the runs were charged to Gilbert while Tellez was the lone run that Jairo let up. Gilbert wound up with the loss while Iriarte received his second blown save, and one bad pitch was all it took to shut Charlotte down.

MVP
Noah Schultz (LHSP): 4 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 4 K

Runners-Up
Tim Elko (1B): 2-for-4, R, RBI, 2 K, HR
Jake Cave (RF): 1-for-4, R, RBI, 2 K, HR
Aidan Anderson (RHRP): 1 IP, 0 H
Chris Murphy (LHRP): 1 IP, H, 0 R, K, Hold
Tanner McDougal (RHRP): 1 IP, 0 H, HB, Hold

Cold Cat
Tyler Gilbert (LHRP): 0 IP (3 batters), H, 3 R, 2 BB, LOSS

Runners-Up
Jairo Iriarte (RHRP): 1 IP, H, R, K, HR (grand slam), Blown Save
Korey Lee (C): 0-for-4, 3 K
Dru Baker (CF): 0-for-3, 2 K
Andy Weber (2B): 0-for-3, 2 K, E
Jason Matthews (SS): 0-for-3, K

Biloxi Shuckers 12, Birmingham Barons 1
Biloxi was an offensive powerhouse, aided by Birmingham’s two errors, as the Shuckers scored in all but the first, fifth and seventh innings while outhitting the Barons (57-75), 11-6. All of that offense propelled the Shuckers (63-65) to a blowout 12-1 win to take the series. The Birmingham bats were simply never able to ignite, despite their six hits; the offense went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position while leaving six on base as a team. Birmingham’s lone run came off a solo bomb by Jose Colmenares in the top of the sixth, which didn’t do much for the Barons while trailing four — especially as they handed over three more in the bottom half of the inning.

Only Carson Jacobs was able to put together a scoreless outing on the mound for B-ham, though righthander Dylan Cumming received his ninth L of the season after relinquishing four runs on five hits, two walks, and a home run while striking out two. Another three were added in the bottom of the sixth that negated the Colmenares dinger, as Liam Paddack loaded the bases on two walks and a single. I was fully expecting a grand slam with how the Knights game panned out, and while I was proven wrong, a bases-clearing triple isn’t much better if we’re being honest. Mathias LaCombe got out of the inning, but like Iriarte for Charlotte the sole hit he allowed caused quite a bit of damage for the Barons.

Not that a six-run deficit was any better, but the game spiraled fully out of control in the bottom of the eighth. Right-handed pitcher Seth Keener was promoted to Birmingham last Sunday, and of course in his first outing with the Barons five runs were let up — all unearned. With two outs, a batter reached from an error by Caleb Bonemer at third base that led to a five-run rally for Biloxi.

Unfortunately for Keener, however, he walked four in his two-thirds of an inning, walking in both the 11th and 12th runs of the game for the Shuckers before Birmingham catcher Calvin Harris came in to secure the last out. With that many walks, I’m not fully clear on why all five runs would be unearned, but I say let the man keep his clean ERA, it was a blowout anyways.

MVP
Jose Colmenares (2B): 1-for-3, R, RBI, K, HR, E

Runners-Up
Dylan Campbell (RF): 1-for-4, K, 2B, 2 outfield assists
Ryan Burrowes (SS): 2-for-4, SB
Jacob Burke (LF): 2-for-4
Carson Jacobs (RHRP): 1 IP, 0 H, K
Calvin Harris (RHRP): 1/3 IP, ended the madness in the eighth

Cold Cat
Dylan Cumming (RHSP): 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 K, HR, LOSS (4-9)

Runners-Up
Liam Paddack (LHRP): 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 BB, K
Seth Keener (RHRP): 2/3 IP, 3 H, 5 R (0 ER), 4 BB, K
Caleb Bonemer (3B): 0-for-4, K, E that led to 5 R
Alec Briley (1B): 0-for-4, K
Colby Shelton (DH): 0-for-4, 2 K
Grant Magill (C): 0-for-3

Rome Emperors 12, Winston-Salem Dash 4
It’s a good thing the Dash (73-58) already clinched their playoff berth, because their last two losses to the Emperors (61-68) haven’t been too pretty — 12 surrendered Sunday, 13 Saturday — though they still held on to the series win despite their 12-4 loss. Still, not the best momentum to take into Tuesday’s playoff opener against a juggernaut, the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

Rome pitchers kept Winston-Salem scoreless through eight innings before the bats came alive in the top of the ninth, but W-S were looking at a massive comeback even after just two frames.

Mason Moore made his fifth start of the season, but the righty sadly got rocked for seven runs on five hits (including two homers), three walks and two strikeouts. A couple of RBI doubles scored the first two Emperors runs in the first, but both bombs came in the bottom of the second: a solo shot and a grand slam, giving Rome a 7-0 lead. The bullpen managed the next two innings, but two errors for the Dash led to three unearned runs with Blaine Wynk on the mound in the fifth; though even if those didn’t score, the Dash still would have been chasing nine runs.

After 12 unanswered runs, Winston-Salem started a rally in the ninth, but it was too little, too late. Both Ely Brown and Braden Holcomb posted multi-hit games — including two doubles for Brown — and each of them accounted for at least one RBI: one for Brown, two for Holcomb. Jeral Perez led off the ninth with a walk while Nick McLain moved them both into scoring position with a two-bagger. Holcomb’s base hit drove in the first two, and Rylan Galvan followed that up with an RBI triple before Brown tagged on the final Dash run for a sacrifice fly.

MVP
Braden Holcomb (LF): 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, K

Runners-Up
Ely Brown (CF): 2-for-3, RBI, BB, 2 2B, SF
Nick McLain (RF): 1-for-3, R, BB, K, 2B
Rylan Galvan (C): 1-for-4, R, RBI, K, 3B
Aric McAtee (RHRP): 1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 3 K
Bryce Eblin (RHRP): 1 IP, 0 H

Cold Cat
Mason Moore (RHSP): 1 2/3 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, WP, LOSS (0-2)

Runners-Up
Carlton Perkins (RHRP): 1 IP, H, 2 R, 2 BB
Blaine Wynk (RHRP): 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R (0 ER), 2 K, HR, E
Kyle Lodise (SS): 0-for-5, K
Javier Mogollón (2B): 1-for-5, 3 K, E
Wes Kath (1B): 0-for-3, 2 K, HBP

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 14, Delmarva Shorebirds 3
Four monstrous frames from the Cannon Ballers (71-61) led to a blowout win over the Shorebirds (45-87), 14-3, going out of the 2026 season with a bang. Kannapolis only tallied three more hits than Delmarva, 13-10, but were clutch all throughout the game, going 10-for-18 (.555) with runners in scoring position whereas the Shorebirds went 1-for-9. Five of the 13 Ballers hits were for extra bases, and three Kanny hitters posted more than one hit.

Alexander Albertus was on fire Sunday, going 4-for-5 while scoring four times and driving in six, just a triple shy of the cycle. On top of that, six of the nine starters for the Cannon Ballers recorded at least one RBI, with Clay Burdette, Steven Lancia and Christian Gonzalez driving in two each.

From a pitching standpoint, there weren’t many cumulative strikeouts (five), but the arms were able to pitch their way out of some jams. Alexander Martinez made his 14th start of the season and went four strong with just one hit allowed, three walks, and a strikeout before turning it over to the bullpen to wrap up. Tossing a scoreless, one-hit frame in the fifth, Nick Weyrich closed out the season with his third win of the year.

MVP
Alexander Albertus (3B): 4-for-5, 4 R, 6 RBI, K, 2B, HR

Runners-Up
Alexander Martinez (RHSP): 4 IP, H, 0 R, 3 BB, K
Clay Burdette (RF): 3-for-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B
Nick Weyrich (RHRP): 1 IP, H, 0 R, K, WIN (3-1)
Jordan Morales (LHRP): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, K
Steven Lancia (DH): 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 K, SF
Christian Gonzalez (LF): 1-for-5, 2 RBI
Grayson Fitzwater (1B): 2-for-3, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB

Cold Cat
Marco Barrios (RHRP): 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 K

Runners-Up
Daniel Wright (RHRP): 1 IP, 2 H, R
Efren Teran (2B): 0-for-5, K