Back-and-forth Series Opener Falls Stripers’ Way

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2026
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Lawrenceville, GA --- DeShawn Keirsey hit a tie-breaking homer in the seventh to lift the Gwinnett Stripers past the Durham Bulls 6-5 at Gwinnett Field on Tuesday night.

Keirsey drilled a 2-1 pitch from Evan Reifert (L, 2-1) over the left-centerfield wall, just eluding Homer Bush's leap and glove. Brewer Hicklen then stroked a deep home run in the eighth to send the Stripers (25-15) to a 6-4 lead.

Durham (15-25) scored a run in the ninth on a fielder's choice grounder by Bush to draw to within 6-5, but Carson Williams fanned looking thanks to an ABS challenge to close out the one-run loss.

Joe Boyle threw three scoreless innings in his second major league rehab outing, permitting one hit and two walks with four strikeouts.

By then, the Bulls had taken a 1-0 lead thanks to a throwing error by former Bulls right-hander Anthony Molina. Justyn-Henry Malloy blooped a single, then advanced first to third on an errant pickoff throw by Molina. With two outs, Williams grounded an infield single to score Malloy for the lead.

The Bulls went up 2-0 in the fifth on a second unearned run on the night. This time, Molina threw away a sacrifice bunt by Brock Jones to bring Tatem Levins in from second base.

Gwinnett scored four times against reliever Andrew Wantz in the sixth inning. The first seven batters reached in the inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Hicklen.

Durham tied the game in the top of the seventh when reliever Hunter Stratton overran a safety squeeze bunt by Jones to score Levins and push Malloy to third. Malloy came home to tie the game on a fielder's choice by Bush.The second game of the series is set for Wednesday morning at 11:05 AM with Ty Johnson (0-0, 0.00) matching against Victor Mederos (1-1, 4.58).

Notes: Four of the five runs scored by Durham were unearned runs thanks to three Stripers errors, all committed by pitchers. Molina made two with Stratton charged with the other...The game saw six baserunners either thrown out stealing or picked off. Gwinnett lost five of those baserunners.... Bulls left-hander John Rooney made his season debut by throwing the fifth inning. Rooney walked Brett Wisely, then picked him off. Rooney then walked Jair Carmago, fanned DaShawn Keirsey, then Camargo was thrown out stealing... Justyn-Henry Malloy, who cleared waivers after being DFA'd by the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend, was in the lineup playing left field. Malloy had two hits and scored two runs.... The Bulls played the first of 24 games against the Stripers, and the first of 12 at the Stripers' home park. For 15 years, the stadium has been known as Coolray Field, but the naming rights partnership expired in December and was not renewed, so the stadium is known as Gwinnett Field until if and when a new naming rights partner is found.

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