Trailing 4-3 with two outs in the bottom the eighth, center fielder Gorkys Hernandez lined a single to right to score pinch runner Corey Wimberly, before crossing the plate for the game-winning tally when shortstop Pedro Ciriaco followed with a base hit of his own, as the Indianapolis Indians scored four runs over the seventh and eighth innings to rally past the Charlotte Knights 5-4 last night at Victory Field.

Charlotte looked well on their way to gaining a series split as they entered the seventh inning leading 4-1. However, thanks to Hernandez and a few Knights miscues, the Tribe mounted an exciting comeback with four runs over their final two frames to earn the victory.

Hernandez began the comeback when he led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, before a Knight’s throwing error and Tribe sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with just one out. Another Charlotte miscue would then allow Hernandez to trot home, before a two-out wild pitch let another Indians run cross the plate and pull them with-in one run at 4-3.

After benefiting from a Charlotte breakdown in the seventh, some clutch hitting, beginning with a one out double by C Dusty Brown, helped the Indians pull ahead for good in the bottom of the eighth. Brown was lifted for pinch runner Corey Wimberly to set the stage for the clutch back-to-back two-out run-scoring base hits by Hernandez and Ciriaco.

Indianapolis was given the chance to mount a comeback thanks to some excellent work from their bullpen, as relievers Jose Ascanio and Justin Thomas combined for 4.1 innings of scoreless relief. Ascanio struck out three over 2.2 innings, while in his International League best 45th appearance, Thomas finished off the contest with 1.2 innings of scoreless work to earn the victory and improve to 6-2.

Charlotte jumped out to an early advantage with a single score in the top of the first, thanks to back-to-back doubles by SS Eduardo Escobar and 1B Jim Gallagher.

The Indians plated their first run in the first inning when LF John Bowker blasted the ball over the right field fence for his 11th home run of the season. After Bowker evened the score with his solo shot, Gallagher gave the Knights back the lead with a two-out RBI single in the third.

The Knights then extended their advantage in the top of the fourth on a pair of RBI singles to make it a 4-1 ballgame.

Neither starter figured in the final decision as Indianapolis LHP Justin Wilson allowed four over just 4.2 innings, while Charlotte RHP Joe Bisenius surrendered just one run on three hits over six innings. Knights reliever Dan Remenowsky suffered the loss to fall to 0-1 after giving up two runs on three hits in just an inning of work.

The Rochester Red Wings, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, now come to a Victory Field for a four-game series, beginning on Friday at 7:15 p.m. LHP Garrett Olson is the probable starter for the Indians, while former Greenfield Central High School star right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson is scheduled to take the mound for the Red Wings.

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