Stripers Prevail 9-8 in Extra-Inning Opener, Blanked 2-0 by Bats in Nightcap

Jose Azocar delivered a walk-off win in game one, but Gwinnett's offense was shut down in game two

By Brady Penn (@bradypenn21)

June 19, 2026

LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia – The Gwinnett Stripers (37-35) earned a thrilling 9-8 walk-off victory in game one of a doubleheader but fell short 2-0 in game two to split Friday night’s action with the Louisville Bats (38-33) at Gwinnett Field. Jose Azocar’s three-run single won game one. Decisive Plays (Game 1):

Decisive Plays (Game 1): Home runs by Hector Rodriguez (16), Michael Toglia (18), Elly De La Cruz (1), and TJ Friedl (3) opened up a 6-2 lead for Louisville through four innings. Gwinnett trimmed it to 6-4 with a two-run fifth. In the bottom of the seventh, Cal Conley knotted things up by knocking a two-run triple into the right field corner. The Stripers couldn't push the winning run across, and the Bats retook the lead at 8-6 in the top of the eighth. With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the inning, a shallow pop into center off the bat of Azocar found grass, plating all three runners for a 9-8 triumph.

Key Contributors (Game 1): Azocar (1-for-1, 3 RBIs) delivered the winning hit in his first action since Tuesday night. Aaron Schunk (3-for-3) reached base all four trips to the plate and scored three times. For Louisville, De La Cruz (2-for-2, homer, 2 RBIs) reached all three times and drove in two on his long home run.

Decisive Plays (Game 2): Both teams traded zeroes until Hector Rodriguez broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the fourth to give Louisville a 1-0 edge. He later scored on a Gwinnett error to make it 2-0 Bats. The Stripers went 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position as they were shut out for the fourth time this season.

Key Contributors (Game 2): Owen Murphy (L, 3-5) took the loss despite going 6.0 innings (5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 SO) for his fourth quality start of the year. For Louisville, Rodriguez (2-for-3, RBI) had a multi-hit performance and Jose Franco (W, 1-1) struck out five over 5.0 scoreless, two-hit innings.

Noteworthy: The Stripers earned their first walk-off victory since April 11, a 4-3 win over Nashville. Azocar is the only Gwinnett player with a walk-off hit this year, doing it twice (last in the April 11 win vs. Nashville). Conley is batting .375 (6-for-16, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, 1.287 OPS) on an active five-game hitting streak. Murphy has thrown at least 6.0 innings in four of his last six starts.

Next Game (Saturday, June 20): Gwinnett Stripers vs Louisville Bats, 6:05 p.m. ET at Gwinnett Field. It's Atlanta Black Crackers Weekend at Gwinnett Field as the Stripers transform into the Atlanta Black Crackers, paying tribute to the legendary Negro League team that once called Ponce de Leon Park home. The first 1,750 fans will receive a Black Crackers Hat. TV Broadcast: 6:00 p.m. on Peachtree Sports Network and Palmetto Sports & Entertainment. Radio Broadcast: 5:50 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. Live Video Stream: Bally Sports Live.