Jason Bourgeois homer helps Charlotte Knights hold off Gwinnett

Jason Bourgeois slugged his first home run with the Knights, and Matt Davidson doubled in a run with two outs in the ninth Thursday night as Charlotte hung on for an 8-6 Class AAA International League baseball victory over the Gwinnett Braves at Coolray Field.

The Knights led 4-0 and went ahead 7-2 on the strength of a three-run seventh inning.

Omar Narvaez started the uprising with a one-out double. Tim Anderson followed with a single to center that scored Narvaez and put Charlotte ahead 3-2. Then it was Bourgeois’ time, and he smacked a David Peterson pitch into the left-field standings to end Peterson’s night and give the Knights a three-run cushion.

Gwinnett, however, got two runs in the seventh and eighth to close to 7-6.

Narvaez started things again with a single to center. After Anderson flied out and Bourgeois popped out to first, Davidson doubled off Matt Marksberry to give Charlotte and insurance run.

The Knights didn’t need it, though, as Michael Ynoa came on and got Jace Peterson to ground out, Matt Tuiasosopo to strike swinging and Adonis Garcia to line out sharply to third.

The teams will wrap up the series at Gwinnett with a 7:05 p.m. game Friday. The teams will return to Charlotte to play Saturday and Sunday.

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 2:08 AM with the headline "Jason Bourgeois homer helps Charlotte Knights hold off Gwinnett."