Norfolk came to play in their final night alone in the minor league spotlight. Luis Vázquez broke a scoreless tie in the top of the second with a sky-high fly over the left field wall in Charlotte.
Norfolk starter Thaddeus Ward looked sharp for a majority of the night, but the 28-year-old stumbled in the second. Ward walked the leadoff hitter, plunked the next guy, and allowed a three-run home run to Bobby Dalbec (yes, that Bobby Dalbec). The Earl Weaver special marked Charlotte’s only runs of the game. Ward settled down and delivered 5 innings pitched with two hits allowed and four strikeouts.