LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Travis Demeritte went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBIs, and the Gwinnett pitching staff allowed just four hits as the Stripers (3-1) edged the Norfolk Tides (1-3) 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at Coolray Field.
Scoring Recap: The Tides took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Mountcastle off Touki Toussaint. The Stripers tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Pedro Florimon off Keegan Akin. Gwinnett pulled ahead in the fourth as Ryan LaMarre tripled and came home on a single by Sal Giardina for a 2-1 lead. Demeritte led off the sixth inning with his first Triple-A homer, a solo blast to left off Luis Ysla (L, 0-1), to make it 3-1 Stripers. After Norfolk cut it to 3-2 in the eighth, Gwinnett added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI infield single by Demeritte for a 4-2 lead. Jaycob Brugman homered off Jacob Webb in the ninth, but Webb recovered to finish the 4-3 win.
Stripers Stats: In addition to Demeritte’s multi-hit day, Florimon went 3-for-4 and added an RBI. LaMarre and Adam Duvall each went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Toussaint pitched 3.0 innings and allowed a run on one hit in a no-decision. Thomas Burrows (W, 1-0) threw 2.0 scoreless innings for his first Triple-A win. Webb (S, 1) yielded a run on one hit in the ninth.
Postgame Notes: At 3-1, the Stripers are off to their best four-game start since 2016, when they took three of four at Harbor Park in Norfolk. Gwinnett starting pitchers went 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA (4 ER in 18.0 IP) in the three-game series. Demeritte, a product of Winder-Barrow High School, batted .400 (4-for-10) with a team-high four RBIs over three games vs. the Tides.
Quote: “We have been solid, they have been aggressive and have pounded the strike zone,” Stripers Manager Damon Berryhill said of the pitching staff. “They all had good springs and they are following the game plan, being aggressive in the strike zone.”
Next Game (Monday, April 8): Gwinnett vs. Durham, 7:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. LHP Kolby Allard (NR) for the Stripers vs. LHP Ryan Merritt (NR) for the Bulls. Radio Broadcast: 5:50 p.m. on 97.7 and 93.5 FM “The Other Side of the River.”
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