LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – The Gwinnett Stripers (29-28, 67-64) had a series sweep on their minds Sunday afternoon but couldn’t come back to beat the Louisville Bats (19-38, 58-72) in a 5-4 loss at Louisville Slugger Field. Jim Jarvis tripled and drove in a pair, but the Stripers saw their six-game winning streak snapped as they finished the series 5-1.
Decisive Plays: For the sixth straight game, the Stripers struck first, going up 1-0 on a solo home run by DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (5) in the second inning. Louisville went ahead 2-1 in the third on a two-run double by Jay Allen II. RBI singles by Juan Brito and P.J. Higgins extended the Bats’ advantage to 4-1 through six, but Gwinnett closed it to 4-3 on a two-run triple from Jarvis in the seventh. Louisville added insurance on an RBI infield single by Allen II in the eighth, making it 5-3. That hit proved crucial, as the Stripers executed a double steal coupled with an error to pull within 5-4 in the ninth. With the tying run at third and two outs, Jose Azocar flied out to right, ending the game.
Key Contributors: Keirsey Jr. (2-for-4, homer, RBI) had two of Gwinnett’s five hits, while Jarvis (1-for-5, triple, 2 RBIs) drove in two of the four runs. JR Ritchie (L, 6-4) yielded four runs – three earned – on five hits over 5.1 innings. For Louisville, Allen went 2-for-4 with a double and game-high three RBIs. Former Striper Darius Vines (W, 1-0) pitched 3.0 scoreless, two-hit innings in relief for the Bats, and Hunter Parks (S, 8) held the slim lead in the ninth.
Noteworthy: Jarvis extended his team-best on-base streak to 27 games with the triple, his fourth of the year with Gwinnett. Keirsey Jr.’s homer was his first since June 11 at Jacksonville. Chuckie Robinson went 1-for-3 with a double and finished the series against his former club batting .545 (6-for-11, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI). Gwinnett is now 5-18 in series finales this year.
Next Game (Tuesday, September 1): Gwinnett Stripers vs. Charlotte Knights, 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. TV Broadcast: Peachtree Sports Network, Palmetto Sports & Entertainment. Live Video Stream: Bally Sports Live.