Stowers record-setting day gets rained out in 4-4 game

NORFOLK, V.A. (Courtesy of Norfolk Tides) — The Norfolk Tides (2-3, 38-42) were unable to complete today’s game against the Charlotte Knights (3-2, 36-43), on Sunday afternoon at Harbor Park. The game was tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth with runners on first and second with two outs prior to a downpour that resulted in the game being suspended. Kyle Stowers set the franchise home run record with his 53rd of his Tides career in the suspended contest.

Stowers set the record in the first inning, blasting a two-run homer off Charlotte starter Sean Burke. It was a two-run shot that gave Norfolk an early 2-0 lead. He wasn’t done knocking in runs, hitting a sacrifice fly in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. The home run will not count as the franchise record home run until the game is completed later this season.

Tides starter Tucker Davidson was stellar and exited as the winning pitcher of record. He threw 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out five.

In the seventh inning, Charlotte was able to even the score. With runners on first and second, Jared Walsh blasted a three-run shot to make it a 3-3 game in one swing.

Charlotte would end up taking the lead in the eighth. Bryan Ramos doubled and then scored on an RBI single by Rafael Ortega to give the Knights a 4-3 lead.

It started raining right at the beginning of the bottom of the ninth. The Tides were able to get their first three batters to reach safely with no outs. After a strikeout, Coby Mayo hit a bloop single that normally would have been caught, but the heavy rain let the ball drop. The Tides were able to tie the game up after the bloop, but the potential game-winning run was thrown out going home. The conditions were too poor to play from there, forcing suspended action. The game will be finished at Charlotte on July 30th prior to the series opener that Tuesday at 7:04 p.m.

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