DURHAM, North Carolina – The Gwinnett Stripers (3-4, 41-40) rallied from a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning, only to see that lead fall away in a 7-4 loss to the Durham Bulls (6-1, 34-48) on Tuesday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Jose Azocar belted a two-run home run to give Gwinnett its short-lived lead.
Decisive Plays: Durham took a 3-0 lead in the second inning with RBI singles from Blake Sabol and Jake Fraley and a run-scoring wild pitch from Drue Hackenberg. In the fifth, Gwinnett got on the board with a two-out RBI double by Jim Jarvis to make it 3-1. An inning later the Stripers pulled ahead 4-3 as Brewer Hicklen ripped an RBI double to right-center and Azocar blasted a two-run homer (3) over the blue monster in left-center. The Bulls surged back ahead in the seventh on a two-run homer from Carson Williams (9). Williams added insurance with a two-run single in the eighth, making it 7-4.
Key Contributors: Azocar (1-for-4, homer, 2 RBIs), Jarvis (1-for-4, double, RBI), and Hicklen (1-for-3, double, RBI) combined to drive in Gwinnett’s four runs. Williams went 2-for-5 with a homer and game-high four RBIs to lead Durham. Bulls’ relievers John Rooney (W, 2-1), Cam Hill (H, 2), and Alexander Alberto (S, 3) combined on 3.0 scoreless innings to finish the game.
Noteworthy: Jarvis’s double extended his on-base streak to 20 games. Ben Gamel went 2-for-4 with a double, his third straight multi-hit effort. Catcher Jair Camargo tallied his International League-leading 23rd caught stealing of the year. Gwinnett finishes June with a 12-12 record.
Next Game (Wednesday, July 1): Gwinnett Stripers at Durham Bulls, 6:45 p.m. ET at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Radio Broadcast: 6:30 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. Live Video Stream: Bally Sports Live.
Next Home Game (Tuesday, July 7): Gwinnett Stripers vs. Memphis Redbirds, 6:35 p.m. ET at Gwinnett Field. It’s 5-4-3 Tuesday, presented by Sahlen’s Hot Dogs. Radio Broadcast: 6:20 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. Live Video Stream: Bally Sports Live.