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By Dave Lezotte
(@davelezotte)
Luke Waddell belted a two-run home run to give the Gwinnett Stripers (34-38) a 3-2 lead in the top of the second inning, but the Charlotte Knights (31-40) went ahead on a Mark Payton three-run shot in the bottom half and never looked back in a 7-5 win on Thursday night at Truist Field.
Decisive Plays: Yuli Gurriel staked the Stripers to a 1-0 lead in the first and Waddell’s homer (2) made it 3-2 in the second, but the Knights scored six runs off Bryce Elder (L, 5-2) to go up 6-3 after three. Payton hit the go-ahead three-run shot in the second and added an RBI single in the fourth. Down 7-4 in the ninth, Gwinnett nearly came back as Nacho Alvarez Jr. lined an RBI single and stole second to put the tying runs in scoring position. Drake Baldwin and Gurriel both struck out, however, ending the game.
Key Contributors: Waddell (2-for-4, homer, 2 RBIs) and Alejo Lopez (2-for-3, double, RBI) each had multi-hit games for the Stripers. For Charlotte, Payton went 3-for-4 with a homer and game-high four RBIs. Cory Abbott (W, 3-1) tossed 2.0 scoreless innings in relief for the win, and Adisyn Coffey (S, 3) struck out the side in the ninth.
Noteworthy: Lopez extended his on-base streak to 20 games with his multi-hit effort. Luke Williams saw his International League-best 17-game hitting streak snapped, finishing 0-for-2 with a pair of walks. Elder’s loss (4.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO) snapped his 3-0 start to the month of June.
Next Game (Friday, June 21): Gwinnett at Charlotte, 7:04 p.m. ET at Truist Field. Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. ET on MyCountry993.com. RHP Darius Vines (0-1, 5.59 ERA) for the Stripers vs. RHP Nick Nastrini (0-5, 6.48 ERA) for the Knights.
Next Home Game (Tuesday, June 25): Gwinnett vs. Memphis, 7:05 p.m. ET at Coolray Field. Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. ET on MyCountry993.com and Bally Live. It's Coolray Family Value Tuesday at Coolray Field, with $2 hot dogs and $1 desserts.