Stripers See 7-0 Lead Slip Away in 8-7 Loss at Durham

DURHAM, NC – The Gwinnett Stripers (17-16) led 7-0 halfway through the fourth inning, but the Durham Bulls (13-20) surged back to claim an 8-7 walk-off win on Thursday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Decisive Plays: Gwinnett opened a 7-0 lead with six runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by an RBI single from Ryan Goins and three-run home run from Chadwick Tromp (8). That sizable lead was short-lived as Durham scored seven unanswered runs to tie the game at 7-7. Josh Lowe’s three-run double in the fourth cut the lead to 7-6 and Miles Mastrobuoni tied it with an RBI double in the fifth. The tie held until the bottom of the ninth, when the Bulls loaded the bases with one out against Nick Vincent (L, 0-3) and Jonathan Aranda lined a walk-off single to right.

Key Contributors: Tromp finished 1-for-5 with the homer and a game-high three RBIs, while Goins (2-for-4, run, RBI), Alex Dickerson (2-for-4, run) and Phil Gosselin (2-for-4, run, RBI) each had two-hit nights. Aranda and Lowe combined to drive in five of Durham’s eight runs.

Noteworthy: The Stripers are now 5-3 in games decided in the last at-bat this season, including 2-3 in games decided by walk-off. Tromp’s team-leading eighth homer extended his hitting streak to 13 games, RBI streak to 11 games, and extra-base hits streak to a Gwinnett franchise-record nine games. Preston Tucker now has a 13-game on-base streak after going 1-for-4 with a double.

Next Game (Friday, May 13): Gwinnett at Durham, 6:35 p.m. at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. RHP Huascar Ynoa (1-1, 5.40 ERA) for the Stripers vs. LHP Josh Fleming (NR) for the Bulls. Radio Broadcast: 6:20 p.m. on MyCountry993.com.

Next Home Game (Tuesday, May 17): Gwinnett vs. Memphis, 7:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. Radio Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. It’s Family Value Tuesday at Coolray Field, presented by Coolray Heating and Cooling. Grab a $2 hot dog and $1 dessert and enjoy the ballgame.