Late Homer from Dean Drives Gwinnett to Season Finale Triumph

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Facing a two-run eighth inning deficit, the Gwinnett Stripers found a hero in Justin Dean, whose clutch three-run home run flipped the scoreboard and gave the Stripers a 7-6 win over the Durham Bulls (88-62) in the season finale on Sunday afternoon at Coolray Field.

Decisive Plays: A solo blast by Austin Shenton (14) gave the Bulls a 1-0 lead in the first. Gwinnett answered with three runs the home half, featuring an RBI double from Braden Shewmake. A two-run double by Logan Driscoll tied the game in the third at 3-3. Durham jumped in front with a three-run fifth inning, this time with a two-run single by Driscoll. Gwinnett scored once in the seventh to make it 6-4. Dean hit a deep drive to right field for a three-run homer (4) in the eighth to put the Stripers in front for good. Brian Moran (S, 2) held the lead with a perfect ninth.

Key Contributors: Dean (1-for-3, homer, 3 RBIs) was responsible for the biggest moment of the day, while Vaughn Grissom (3-for-4, double) finished with his 42^nd multi-hit game of the season. For Durham, Driscoll (2-for-5, double, 4 RBIs) drove in four of the six runs scored by the Bulls.

Noteworthy: With his 36^th double of the season in the eighth inning, Vaughn Grissom surpassed Freddie Freeman (2010) and Ernesto Mejia (2013) for the most in a single season in Gwinnett history. Grissom also set a new high-water mark in Gwinnett single-season on-base percentage, finishing at .419 OBP and passing Wes Timmons (.416 in 2009). The Stripers claimed their first win in a season finale since 2019, when they won 8-5 at Durham.

Next Season: The Stripers will begin the 2024 season on the road against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on March 29. For updates on 2024 throughout the off-season, visit GoStripers.com