Late Stripers Comeback Bid Falls Short in 5-4 Loss to Charlotte

LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia – The Stripers ran into trouble early, and a late-game rally couldn't be completed as Gwinnett (26-20) dropped game one of a six-game set to the Charlotte Knights (23-23) on Tuesday night at Gwinnett Field.

Decisive Plays: Solo home runs from Charlotte's Jacob Gonzalez (15), Oliver Dunn (9), Korey Lee (6), and Austin Hays (2) helped put Charlotte ahead 5-0 against Gwinnett starter Austin Gomber (L, 0-6). The Stripers started to crawl back after RBIs by Jim Jarvis and Brett Wisely made it 5-2 through six. In the seventh, Gwinnett made it a one-run game thanks to an RBI double off the bat of Nacho Alvarez Jr. and an RBI single from Rowdy Tellez. The Stripers stranded the bases loaded in the eighth and entered the ninth down 5-4. With Aaron Schunk on second base and two outs, DaShawn Keirsey Jr.grounded a ball to the left side of the infield, where Charlotte's Gonzalez made a highlight throw from shortstop to catch Schunk at the plate for the third out, ending the ballgame.

Key Contributors: Alvarez Jr (2-for-4, double, RBI) and Tellez (2-for-4, double, RBI) sparked the seventh-inning rally. For Charlotte, Jonathan Cannon (W, 1-2) worked 5.0 innings of one run ball, and Lee (3-for-4, homer, RBI) had a three-hit night.

Noteworthy: The Stripers are now 8-10 in one-run games, with three straight losses. Brewer Hicklen recorded his eighth multi-hit game in the month of May. Gomber became the Stripers first left-handed starting pitcher in 2026.

Next Game (Wednesday, May 20): Gwinnett Stripers vs. Charlotte Knights, 6:35 p.m. ET at Gwinnett Field. It's Wet Nose Wednesday, free admission for dogs with a paid owner. TV Broadcast: 6:30 p.m. on Peachtree Sports Network and Palmetto Sports & Entertainment Radio Broadcast: 6:20 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. Live Video Stream: Bally Sports Live.