Norfolk batters Charlotte Knights pitchers in 20-4 victory

No Charlotte Knights pitcher was safe Tuesday night as Norfolk battered one after another en route to a 20-4 victory at BB&T BallPark.

Audry Perez led the Tides’ 21-hit attack, going 4-for-5 with a home run, four runs scored and three RBIs. Eight of the Tides’ nine batters had two or more hits. Christian Walker homered, doubled amd drove in four runs.

Norfolk took a 3-1 lead into the fifth inning and then broke the game open, scoring six runs. The Tides added seven more runs in the eighth inning and three in the ninth. For the game, Norfolk batters were 11-for-23 with runners in scoring position.

Charlotte starter Terance Marin (0-2) took the loss. He allowed seven runs on nine hits in four-plus innings. But none of Charlotte’s five pitchers was effective. Phillippe Aumont surrendered two runs in two innings, Blake Smith five in 1 1/3, Will Lamb three in two-thirds and Matt Purke three in his only inning.

Norfolk had six extra-base hits for the game to five for Charlotte. Four errors for Charlotte errors contributed to three unearned runs. And six of the Tides’ runs came with two out with Sharlon Schoop getting three and Walker the other three.

The teams will wrap up the series with a 7:05 p.m. start Wednesday at BB&T BallPark.

Notes

Right-hander Erik Johnson, who was the International League’s Most Valuable Pitcher last season after posting an 11-8 record with a 2.37 ERA with the Charlotte Knights, was recalled by the Chicago White Sox. Johnson, 26, will take the roster spot of outfielder J.B. Shuck, who was optioned to the Knights after Monday’s game. … In another roster move, right-hander John Holdzkom was signed by Chicago and assigned to Charlotte. Holdzkom has been placed on Charlotte’s disabled list retroactive to April 18.

This story was originally published April 19, 2016 at 10:44 PM with the headline "Norfolk batters Charlotte Knights pitchers in 20-4 victory."