Stripers Downed by Louisville 6-2 in Season Finale

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Gwinnett Stripers (69-79) could not overcome a four-run first inning by the Louisville Bats (60-90), falling 6-2 in the 2022 season finale on Wednesday afternoon at Coolray Field.

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Decisive Plays: Louisville pounced on Gwinnett starter Jared Shuster (L, 1-3) for four runs in the first inning, coming via hits from Aramis Garcia, Juniel Querecuto, and Isiah Gilliam. Gwinnett grabbed a run in the sixth when Jake Marisnick scored from third on a Taylor Motter sacrifice fly. The Bats made it 5-1 on TJ Hopkins' single in the seventh. Justyn-Henry Malloy knocked an RBI single in the eighth, but the Stripers left the bases loaded.

Key Contributors: Malloy went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base. Marisnick finished 1-for-3 with a run and two stolen bases. Allan Winans made his first appearance with Gwinnett since April 20, striking out five over 4.0 innings in relief and allowing two runs. For Louisville, every starter picked up a hit, with Hopkins (2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 stolen bases), Querecuto (2-for-3, RBI), and Michael De Leon (2-for-4, RBI) knocking two apiece.

Noteworthy: The Stripers' pitching staff finishes the season with 1,421 strikeouts, which leads the International League and is a new single-season team record. Marisnick ends his season with a five-game hitting streak, batting .348 (8-for-23) with a .791 OPS over the span. Motter extended his on-base streak to 15 games with a seventh-inning walk, matching the longest by a Stripers player this season.

Next Game (Friday, March 31, 2023): Gwinnett vs. Jacksonville, first pitch TBD at Coolray Field.