CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Charlotte Christian is built for heavyweight battles.

The Knights’ 11th game of the season to be decided by two runs or less was a signature 4-3 win over Metrolina Christian in front of a raucous crowd at Greg Simmons Field.

Freshman shortstop Derek Vazquez helped his team land two deadly punches late in the back-and-forth battle. A seventh-inning double tied the score at 2-2, and his hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth walked things off.

The Knights handed the Warriors their first loss of the season to drop to 17-1 overall.

A pitching duel between two ACC-bound arms did not disappoint. Clemson recruit Chase Kiker struck out 10 over 6.1 innings for Metrolina, while Wake Forest commit Grant Nicholson fanned eight and allowed two hits over six innings of work.

With the aces dialed in, offense was hard to come by. Hudson Simmons gave Charlotte Christian an early run in a big way. The freshman blasted a solo shot to right in the second to grab a 1-0 lead.

That advantage held until the fourth. The Warriors turned the lineup over to the top, where Jacob Seamon drew a walk and went first-to-third on a Kiker double to right. Mylo White grounded out to the right side to plate Seamon and even the score at 1-1.

Kiker was the only hitter in the Metrolina lineup to solve Nicholson. He followed a sixth-inning Alex Lerch walk with a stand-up double to the gap in left-center to grab a 2-1 lead.

Down to its final outs, Charlotte Christian fought back in the seventh. Simmons singled with one out, and pinch hitter Shawn Thomas O’Donnell went the other way with a full-count offering to end Kiker’s day.

White took over on the mound, and Vazquez instantly greeted him with a game-tying double.

Tied 2-2 in the top of the eighth, Seamon worked a walk, stole second and third, then pushed Metrolina Christian back ahead 3-2 on a sacrifice fly from Lerch.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, Charlotte Christian had more late-game magic in its pocket.

Cohen Bettencourt began the bottom of the eighth with a walk. Matty Carroll pushed a bunt up the line for a single, and Ivan Andino loaded the bases when he was intentionally walked.

O’Donnell, who was at the center of the seventh-inning rally, rose to the occasion once more. He drew a two-out walk to knot the game at 3-3.

The Warriors called upon Sully Mellor to escape the jam, but he plunked Vazquez to send the home dugout into a frenzy.

Charlotte Christian improved to 16-4 overall. The Knights are 8-3 in games decided by two runs or less. Wade Thompson earned the win after turning in two innings of hitless relief.

Metrolina Christian only mustered two hits (both Kiker doubles). As a pitching staff, they struck out 11.