CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Gwinnett Stripers (15-10) scored two-out runs in the seventh and eighth inning to defeat the Charlotte Knights (15-11) 4-2 on Tuesday night at BB&T Ballpark. Adam Duvall, Rafael Ortega, and Travis Demeritte each drove in runs for the Stripers, who moved a half-game ahead of the Knights for first place in the International League South Division.
Scoring Recap: Charlotte took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning as Ryan Goins laced an RBI triple to right-center and scored on an RBI groundout by Charlie Tilson. The Stripers tied it up at 2-2 in the fourth as Duvall stroked a two-run double to right-center scoring Andres Blanco and Austin Riley. Gwinnett took the lead with two outs in the seventh as Sal Giardina doubled and scored on an infield single by Ortega. A two-out RBI double by Demeritte scored Riley to extend the lead to 4-2 in the eighth.
Stripers Stats: Starter Bryse Wilson yielded two runs on three hits over 4.2 innings in a no-decision, walked one and struck out seven. Ben Rowen (W, 2-0) struck out two over 2.1 scoreless innings, and Rafael De Paula (S, 2) fanned three over 2.0 scoreless innings. Duvall went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, while Ortega went 2-for-5 with one RBI. Blanco, Riley, and Giardina each added two hits.
Knights Stats: Starter Dylan Cease struck out 11 over 6.0 innings, exiting with two runs on five hits in a no-decision. Zach Thompson (L, 1-1) allowed two runs on five hits over 5.0 innings. Goins went 1-for-2 with a triple and an RBI.
Postgame Notes: Blanco extended his team-best on-base streak to 19 games, while Riley extended his on-base streak to 16 games. Duvall saw his Gwinnett franchise record-equaling home run streak snapped at five games but extended his hitting streak to nine games. The Stripers are in sole possession of first place in the IL South for the first time since they were 7-4 on April 15.
Next Game (Wednesday, May 1): Gwinnett at Charlotte, 11:05 a.m. at BB&T Balllpark. LHP Kolby Allard (2-1, 3.86 ERA) for the Stripers vs. RHP Donny Roach (0-2, 9.75 ERA) for the Knights. Radio Broadcast: 10:50 a.m. on 97.7 and 93.5 FM “The Other Side of the River.”
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