Ryan Noda's ninth-inning homer lifts Norfolk past Charlotte, 9-8

Ryan Noda turned a wild night at Truist Field into his own showcase, launching a ninth-inning homer that lifted Norfolk past Charlotte, 9-8, and capped a two-homer performance that decided a game full of momentum swings.

The Tides built an 8-2 lead and still had to survive a furious Charlotte rally before Noda’s swing in the top of the ninth restored order. Norfolk improved to 17-24, while the Knights fell to 19-22 in a game that looked settled, unraveled, and then flipped again before Noda settled it for good. The victory also gave Norfolk its first three-game winning streak of the season.

Wednesday night, May 13, 2026, began with Norfolk answering early pressure. Reed Trimble tied the game in the second inning with a solo homer, then Christian Encarnacion-Strand gave the Tides breathing room with a two-run double in a four-run fourth. Norfolk extended the margin in the sixth on back-to-back homers by Noda and Sam Huff, a burst that pushed the lead to 8-2 and seemed to put the game out of reach.

Charlotte refused to fold. The Knights scratched for a run in the sixth, then delivered one of the loudest innings of their season in the seventh. Dru Baker homered, Korey Lee drove in a run with a triple, Jacob Gonzalez homered for his 11th of the year, and Oliver Dunn followed with another home run to finish a five-run frame that pulled Charlotte all the way back into the game. By the end of the inning, an 8-2 deficit had become a one-run battle again, and the crowd at Truist Field had every reason to believe the final inning would be decisive.

It was Noda, a former Charlotte Knight who joined Norfolk after missing Baltimore’s Opening Day roster, who landed the final blow. His ninth-inning shot broke the tie and gave the Tides the lead for good, making the left-handed first baseman’s night the difference between a collapse and a road win. Hans Crouse finished it off with 2.0 scoreless innings for his second win of the season, closing out a game that featured 13 Charlotte hits, four Knights homers, and enough leverage swings to make it feel like three games packed into one.