Bullpen Struggles Continue as Stripers Lose 9-6 to Charlotte

Gwinnett swept in opening series despite out-hitting the Knights 12-10

Outfielder Jake Marisnick finishes 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored on Sunday. (Matthew Caldwell)

By Dave Lezotte (@davelezotte)

March 30, 2025

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Gwinnett Stripers held a 3-2 lead through five innings, but for the second straight game the Charlotte Knights put together a big inning against the bullpen. Charlotte’s five-run sixth inning led them to a 9-6 victory, completing a three-game sweep of the Stripers at Truist Field.

Decisive Plays: Eddy Alvarez’s RBI single in the fourth broke a 2-2 tie, but Gwinnett’s 3-2 lead dissolved in the sixth. Dylan Dodd (L, 0-1) allowed RBI singles to Tristan Gray and Bobby Dalbec and a three-run home run to Andre Lipcius (1) as Charlotte surged ahead 7-3. Lipcius added a two-run double to make it 9-4 in the eighth. Alvarez homered (1) as part of a two-run ninth for the Stripers, but the comeback ended there.

Key Contributors: Chasen Shreve started and struck out six over 4.0 innings (4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB) for Gwinnett. Alvarez (2-for-4, homer, 2 RBIs), Jake Marisnick (2-for-3, double, 3 runs), Luke Waddell (2-for-5, double, 2 runs), and Cody Milligan (2-for-3, double, 2 RBIs) all had multi-hit games as the Stripers out-hit the Knights 12-10. For Charlotte, Lipcius went 2-for-4 with a double, homer and game-high five RBIs.

Noteworthy: Gwinnett is off to an 0-3 start for the second time in history (went 0-3 to open 2017). Shreve, making just the second start of his 16-year professional career, matched single-game career highs for innings with 4.0 (third time, first since July 21, 2011 with Class-A Rome) and strikeouts with six (second time, first since July 9, 2011 with Class-A Rome). Shreve also appeared in a Gwinnett uniform for the first time since August 30, 2014, a franchise-record span of 10 years, seven months between outings.

Next Game (Tuesday, April 1): Gwinnett vs. Nashville, 4:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. It’s Opening Day, presented by Georgia Power. The first 2,000 fans will receive a Stripers 2025 Schedule Cling, courtesy of Georgia Power. Radio Broadcast: 5:50 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. TV Broadcast: Peachtree Sports Network, Palmetto Sports & Entertainment. Live Video Stream: Bally Sports Live.