Home Two homers, including slam, from Ryan McKenna lifts Norfolk Tides in doubleheader nightcap
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Two homers, including slam, from Ryan McKenna lifts Norfolk Tides in doubleheader nightcap

Chris Graham

norfolk tides The Norfolk Tides (60-33) split a doubleheader with the Gwinnett Stripers (41-53) on Saturday night at Coolray Field.

The Tides, the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, struck first in Game 1 on a Daz Cameron sacrifice fly in the second inning of play for the early 1-0 lead. The Stripers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, evened the score in the home half of the third when Magneuris Sierra scored on a fielding error, allowing Yolmer Sanchez to score the equalizing run.

Neither side would score until the bottom of the seventh when Luke Williams delivered the game-winner with a walk-off solo home run to left field, and the Stripers took game one by a 2-1 score.

It was Norfolk who cracked the scoreboard first again in Game 2 as Joey Ortiz and Kyle Stowers launched a pair of solo home runs in the second inning to grab the lead.

The lead would dissipate in the fourth when Hoy Park drove in the tying run with an RBI single.

With the bases loaded in the fifth, Ryan McKenna launched a grand slam home run to left field to put the Tides back out in front, 6-2.

Park collected another RBI in the seventh with a solo home run, but that would be all the Stripers could muster and the Tides took Game 2 by a 6-3 score.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019, and Team of Destiny: Inside Virginia Basketball’s Run to the 2019 National Championship, and The Worst Wrestling Pay-Per-View Ever, published in 2018. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].