Ornelas is July 4 Hero, Stripers Come Back for Third Straight Win Over St. Paul

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Jonathan Ornelas provided an early firework for the Gwinnett Stripers (6-4) on July 4 at Coolray Field, hitting a game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 4-3 win over the St. Paul Saints (4-6). A season-high 9,269 fans witnessed Gwinnett’s first victory when trailing after seven innings this year.

Decisive Plays: Gwinnett got on the board first courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Carlos Rodriguez in the third inning. St. Paul rallied thanks to a trio of bases-loaded walks in the fourth which put three runs on the final line of Jhancarlos Lara. With the Stripers trailing 3-1 in the eighth, both David Fletcher and Jarred Kelenic doubled with one out. Kelenic drove home Fletcher to make it a one-run ballgame. That set the stage for Ornelas, whose two-run homer (4) to center gave Gwinnett a 4-3 lead. Michael Petersen was brought in for the save attempt but left the game with the Gwinnett training staff after a pair of walks to start the frame. With runners on first and second and no outs, Jose Ruiz (S, 2) struck out a pair and didn’t allow a hit to protect the 4-3 victory.

Key Contributors: Ornelas (1-for-4, homer, 2 RBIs) had the big blast to give the Stripers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Kelenic (2-for-3, double, RBI) had the lone multi-hit game for both teams. Rolddy Munoz made his second start with the Stripers in a bullpen game, tossing a Triple-A high 3.0 scoreless innings. For St. Paul, Marco Raya allowed just one earned run in 6.0 innings for his first quality start of the year.

Noteworthy: The Stripers won their first game of the season when trailing after the seventh inning, improving to 1-45. Gwinnett also matched its longest winning streak of the season at three games, previously done twice and last accomplished form May 7-9. Ruiz has recorded a save in consecutive nights. Conner Capel extended his hitting streak to seven games following a 1-for-3 night. Rodriguez walked twice to extend his on-base streak to 14 games, tied for the team lead.

Next Game (Saturday, July 5): Gwinnett Stripers vs. St. Paul Saints, 7:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. RHP Hurston Waldrep (6-6, 5.64 ERA) will get the ball for the Stripers against RHP Randy Dobnak (0-5, 7.12 ERA) of the Saints. The Stripers are honoring the 39th President of the United States, Georgia’s own Jimmy Carter, with a bobblehead giveaway for the first 2,000 fans at the ballpark. The first 500 kids (aged 12 and under) will receive a FREE hot dog. Enjoy a live performance from the Owl Creek Band starting from the time gates open until 6:15 p.m. at The Cove. Radio Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. TV Broadcast: Peachtree Sports Network.