Waters, Tromp Lead Stripers Over Charlotte in Slugfest

Drew Waters goes 4-for-4 in first game back, Chadwick Tromp homers twice in 11-7 win

Drew Waters returned to Gwinnett with a bang, hitting a home run on the first pitch and finishing a perfect 4-for-4 on Tuesday afternoon. (Jamie Spaar/Gwinnett Stripers)

May 3, 2022

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Gwinnett Stripers (12-13) rode the bats of Drew Waters and Chadwick Tromp to an 11-7 win over the Charlotte Knights (10-15) on Tuesday afternoon at Coolray Field. Waters went 4-for-4 with a leadoff home run in his first game with Gwinnett this season, while Tromp tallied

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Gwinnett Stripers (12-13) rode the bats of Drew Waters and Chadwick Tromp to an 11-7 win over the Charlotte Knights (10-15) on Tuesday afternoon at Coolray Field. Waters went 4-for-4 with a leadoff home run in his first game with Gwinnett this season, while Tromp tallied a pair of two-run blasts.

Decisive Plays: Gwinnett built leads of 5-0 and 7-4 thanks to the big days from Waters and Tromp, but Charlotte tied it at 7-7 with three runs off starter Touki Toussaint in the fifth. The Stripers grabbed the lead back for good in the sixth with a Waters single – his fourth hit of the afternoon – scoring Tromp. Three Knights’ errors led to three runs as the lead grew to 11-7.

Key Contributors: Waters hit a leadoff home run (1) on the first pitch he saw from Knights starter Wes Benjamin, kicking off his 4-for-4 day (two runs, two RBIs). Tromp went 2-for-3 with two homers (2-3) and four RBIs in his fourth career multi-homer game. Pat Valaika had a 2-for-5 day with a homer (3) and two RBIs.

Noteworthy: The leadoff homer was the third of Waters’ career with Gwinnett, as he also accomplished the feat twice in 2021 (May 19 at Nashville, July 22 vs. Norfolk). R.J. Alaniz (W, 1-1) earned the 50th minor league victory of his career, tossing 1.1 innings in relief.

Next Game (Wednesday, May 4): Gwinnett vs. Charlotte, 7:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. LHP Tucker Davidson (0-1, 4.70 ERA) for the Stripers vs. RHP Johnny Cueto (0-1, 4.05 ERA) for the Knights. Radio Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. It's Wet Nose Wednesday at Coolray Field as dogs get in the park for free with owner's paid admission. The Stripers will transform into the "Xolos de Gwinnett" to honor Gwinnett County's rich Hispanic heritage and culture.