Charlotte Knights reclaim division lead with 11th-inning win

Jason Coats already had a solid day at the plate. Then, he became the hero.

Coats poked a game-winning single into the outfield in the bottom of the 11th inning to lead the Charlotte Knights to a 9-8 win over the Gwinnett Braves on Sunday in the finale of their two-game series at BB&T Ballpark.

The Knights propelled back into first place in the International League South Division. Charlotte (23-22) holds a one-game lead over Gwinnett (22-23) in the standings.

A day after Saturday’s game took five hours and 50 minutes to complete, the Knights and Braves battled into extra innings. The tilt, which started with both teams tied atop the IL South Division, featured a see-saw battle between the two division foes. Both teams belted out 15 hits.

Coats went 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and five RBIs.

Charlotte reliever Will Lamb (3-0, 4.07) earned the win out of the bullpen. Lamb, who allowed the game-tying runs in the top of the ninth inning, worked three innings for the victory.

J.B. Shuck, who started the 11th inning rally, also had a terrific day at the plate. He went 4-for-6 with four runs scored, one triple, and one stolen base.

The Knights became the first team in Minor League Baseball this season to go over the 200,000 attendance mark (207,264).

The Knights will have an off day on Monday before heading to Syracuse, N.Y. to begin a three-game series against the Chiefs on Tuesday.

This story was originally published May 22, 2016 at 8:09 PM with the headline "Charlotte Knights reclaim division lead with 11th-inning win."