Gwinnett Cruises to Fifth Straight Win as Wall Enjoys Terrific Night

Forrest Wall hits leadoff homer, steals two bases in 6-2 victory over Charlotte

Forrest Wall circles the bases after his leadoff home run gave the Stripers a lead they would never relinquish. (Matthew Caldwell)

By Jack Johnson (@jackjohnson25)

June 10, 2023

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Forrest Wall started the game with a bang with a leadoff home run into right field and continued to produce on a three-hit, two-stolen base night as the Gwinnett Stripers (29-33) defeated the Charlotte Knights (28-34) 6-2 on Saturday night at Coolray Field. Decisive Plays: After starter

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Forrest Wall started the game with a bang with a leadoff home run into right field and continued to produce on a three-hit, two-stolen base night as the Gwinnett Stripers (29-33) defeated the Charlotte Knights (28-34) 6-2 on Saturday night at Coolray Field.

Decisive Plays: After starter Michael Soroka (W, 2-2) stranded the bases loaded in the top of the first, Wall homered (5) to give Gwinnett a 1-0 lead. Charlotte got on the board on an RBI single from Zach Remillard in the fifth to make it 2-1, but the Stripers would answer back in a big way in the home half. A three-run inning was highlighted by a two-run single by Braden Shewmake, making it 5-1. Stephen Piscotty walked with the bases loaded to cut it to 6-2 in the eighth. That score would hold as Grant Holmes (S, 3) pitched a perfect ninth inning for the Stripers’ fifth consecutive victory.

Key Contributors: Wall (3-for-4, homer, RBI, 2 steals) scored two of Gwinnett’s five runs. Joshua Fuentes (2-for-4) had the other multi-hit night. Shewmake (1-for-4, 2 RBI) now has back-to-back games with multiple RBIs. Soroka allowed just one run on three hits over 6.0 innings, striking out six in his first Triple-A start since May 23. For Charlotte, Remillard (1-for-4, RBI) had the Knights’ only run-producing hit.

Noteworthy: Wall is up to 38 stolen bases on the season, moving him into third place for most single-season steals in Gwinnett history. He is eight off the record set by Luis Durango (46 steals in 2012). Wall’s leadoff home run was his second of the year and team’s sixth. Gwinnett has won five straight games for the second time this year and first time at Coolray Field, with the previous streak running from April 18-22 at Omaha.

Next Game (Sunday, June 11th): Gwinnett vs. Charlotte, 1:05 p.m. ET at Coolray Field. Broadcast: 12:50 p.m. on MyCountry99.3.com and Bally Live. LHP Justus Sheffield (NR) makes his Stripers debut against RHP Jesse Scholtens (2-2, 4.22 ERA) for the Knights. It’s Sunday Funday at Coolray Field, with Pregame Catch on the Field and Postgame Kids Run the Bases.