Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Smash Knights, Win 13-2
CHARLOTTE – Peyton Burdick, Jerar Encarnacion and Austin Allen each homered and Devin Smeltzer worked 5.0 shutout innings of one-hiit ball on Sunday to help the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp throttle the Charlotte Knights 13-2 from Truist Field.
The victory was Jacksonville’s (40-46, 8-4) fifth of the series, a set in which they outscored Charlotte (37-49, 2-9) 58-28. It was the Jumbo Shrimp’s first time winning five games in a series in 2023, and their first time on the road since May 3-7, 2022 at Memphis.
Burdick and Encarnacion started the scoring with solo shots in the second.
Knights starter Chase Solesky (0-4) walked Xavier Edwards with two outs in the third inning. Allen followed by bashing a two-run home run to make it 4-0.
Jordan Groshans began the fourth with a triple. After a strikeout, Brian Miller laced an RBI single. Santiago Chavez followed with a double and Jake Mangum then collected a two-bagger of his own to make it 6-0.
Edwards jumpstarted the fifth with a double. He advanced to third on a fly out and scored on a wild pitch, widening the gap to 7-0.
Smeltzer (4-4) pitched 5.0 scoreless frames, ceding just one hit to earn the win.
Charlotte finally got on the board in the seventh. Clint Fraizer singled and Nate Mondou walked to begin the inning. After a lineout, an error loaded the bases for Sebastian Rivero, who lifted a sacrifice fly to bring in Frazier. Mondou scored on an RBI single by Adam Haseley.
The Jumbo Shrimp responded immediately. Burdick doubled with one out in the eighth. He stole third, and when the throw went into left field, scored on the error.
Jacksonville landed one final blow in the ninth. Miller reached on an error to start the frame. After a fly out, he scored on another Mangum RBI double. Jacob Amaya singled to put runners on the corners. An Edwards RBI fielder’s choice plated another run before Allen walked. A Burdick single loaded the bases. Groshans and Encarnacion notched RBI singles before Miller worked a bases-loaded walk for the fifth run of the inning, capping the scoring at 13-2.
Following the All-Star Break, the Jumbo Shrimp return home to 121 Financial Ballpark on Friday to begin a three-game series with the Worcester Red Sox. Coverage to Friday’s 7:05 p.m. game begins at 6:50 p.m. on Bally Live, MiLB.tv, ESPN 690 and www.ESPN690.com.
