Indians Escape Nail-Biter in Ninth, 5-4

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Bligh Madris roped a two-run double and recorded his eighth multi-hit game of June to lead the Indianapolis Indians in their first win over the Gwinnett Stripers on Friday night, 5-4.

With the Indians (31-31) leading 2-1 following a bases-loaded walk to Mason Martin and sacrifice fly by Carter Bins to erase a 1-0 deficit, Madris smacked his 14th double of the season for his second hit of the night to score two insurance runs. His team-leading three-hit performance extended his on-base streak to 24 games, two shy of his career-high 26-gamer from last season.

The Stripers (32-32) took one run back on a run-scoring groundout by Kramer Robertson in the bottom of the seventh inning for his second RBI of the game. He launched a leadoff homer to give Gwinnett its early lead in the first.

Jerad Eickhoff (W, 4-3) was one strike away from his first quality start of the season before exiting the game in the sixth with an injury. Through his 5.2 one-run innings, the right-hander fanned six batters and walked two.

Tucker Davidson (L, 1-3) surrendered four of the Indians five runs in 5.2 innings. Brandon Brennan surrendered an RBI double to Carter Bins in the eighth for a final Indians run.

Gwinnett threatened with two runs in the bottom of the ninth to cut the lead to one run, but Austin Brice (S, 4) stranded the game-winning run on first base to clinch the game in favor of Indy.

The Indians will look for their second win of the six-game series tomorrow at 6:05 PM ET at Coolray Field. RHP Huascar Ynoa (2-3, 4.47) will take the mound for the Stripers while Indy has yet to name a starter.