Adam Hall and his Nashville Sounds teammates are in firm control of their series against the Charlotte Knights after grinding out a 5-4 victory, extending their lead to three games. The Sounds showcased a potent offensive start and held off a late Knights rally to secure the win, with Carlos Rodriguez delivering another impressive pitching performance.
Rodriguez, the highly-rated Brewers prospect, continued his strong start to the season, pitching four-plus innings and racking up seven strikeouts for the third time in his four starts.
Hall contributed to the Sounds' efforts, going 1-for-4 from the plate. His lone hit came in the top of the 4th inning, a ground ball single to shortstop Colson Montgomery that advanced Raynel Delgado to third base. Showing his versatility, Hall then swiped second base, his third stolen base of the campaign.
The Nashville outfit exploded out of the gates, establishing a commanding 5-0 lead by scoring a run in each of the first five innings. Ernesto Martinez Jr. got the scoring underway in the first, driving in Jared Oliva with an RBI double after Oliva had kept the inning alive with a crucial two-out triple.
Wes Clarke then launched a home run on the very first pitch of the second inning, and Oliva followed suit in the third, belting his fourth homer of the year in back-to-back games. Daz Cameron and Raynel Delgado added the final two RBIs for the Sounds, both coming via sacrifice flies.
The Charlotte Knights finally broke through against Rodriguez in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring their first two runs. Three of the four hits allowed by the Sounds' starting pitcher came in that frame, including a pair of doubles. Easton McGee was called upon from the bullpen and promptly struck out the first batter he faced to end the inning.
McGee continued in the sixth for Nashville but conceded another run on two hits. Vinny Nittoli took over pitching duties in the seventh for the Sounds. The Knights mounted a late charge, stringing together a pair of two-out singles and drawing a walk in between, cutting the Sounds' lead to a precarious 5-4. However, Nittoli held his nerve, striking out his second batter of the inning to extinguish the threat and secure the hard-fought victory for Nashville.
With this win, the Nashville Sounds have put themselves in a strong position to claim the series victory in Charlotte, showcasing their offensive firepower and the resilience of their pitching staff.
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