IL1 Gwinnett Stripers

G-Braves Power Past Durham, 8-4

Published on July 31, 2015 under International League (IL1)
Gwinnett Stripers News Release


DURHAM, NC - The Gwinnett Braves (54-51), behind the hitting of Cedric Hunter and Sean Kazmar, defeated the Durham Bulls (52-54) by an 8-4 score Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

The win, combined with a 3-2 Columbus loss at Scranton Wilkes-Barre, moved the G-Braves to 4.0 games behind the Clippers in the International League Wild Card race. Gwinnett is now only 3.5 games behind Charlotte for second place in the IL South Division.

The Bulls scratched across a run against Gwinnett starter Kanekoa Texeira (W, 3-3) in the bottom of the second inning to go up 1-0, but that would be their only lead of the game.

The G-Braves erupted for four runs in the top of the fourth off Durham starter Dylan Floro (L, 9-10). Back-to-back singles by Eric Young Jr., and Joey Terdoslavich put runners on the corners, and Hunter drove in Young with a groundout up the first base line for a 1-1 tie. Christian Bethancourt drew a walk and Todd Cunningham followed with a single to left, scoring Terdoslavich for a 2-1 lead. Bethancourt and Cunningham each moved up a base on an error by Durham left fielder Corey Brown. Kazmar then blooped a single to right, scoring both Bethancourt and Cunningham for a 4-1 lead.

The lead increased to 7-1 in the top of the fifth as Hunter drilled a three-run homer to right off Floro, scoring both Mallex Smith and Terdoslavich.

Durham closed the game to 7-3 with two runs in the bottom of the sixth as both Richie Schaffer and Ryan Brett connected on RBI doubles.

But a solo homer by Kazmar to center in the top of the eighth off Durham reliever Jose Dominguez put the G-Braves back up by an 8-3 count.

Durham's Nick Franklin led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo homer to center off Gwinnett's David Peterson to cut the lead to 8-4, but that would be as close as the Bulls would get the rest of the way.

Texeira picked up his third straight win by going 5.0 innings with five hits, three earned runs, six walks and three strikeouts. Carlos Fisher went 1.0 inning with one hit, two walks and one strikeout. Peterson pitched 2.0 innings, allowed one hit, one earned run and struck out one. Hunter Cervenka, just returning from Double-A Mississippi, pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth.

For the Bulls, Floro went 5.2 innings, gave up seven hits and seven runs (six earned). He walked two and struck out three. Georgia native Everett Teaford worked 1.1 innings with one walk and one strikeout. Dominguez went 1.0 inning with one hit, one earned run, three walks and one strikeout. Jim Miller finished the game with 1.0 inning and two strikeouts.

Hunter was 1-for-5 with his team-leading seventh home run and four RBIs for Gwinnett. Kazmar went 2-for-4 with his second homer of the year and three RBIs. Terdoslavich went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.

Brett led the Bulls with a 2-for-4 night that included a double and an RBI. Franklin went 1-for-4 with his sixth homer of the season and an RBI.

The G-Braves and Bulls meet in game two of the three-game series in Durham Saturday night. Right-hander Tyrell Jenkins (2-1, 2.16 ERA) will start for Gwinnett, while left-hander and former G-Brave Scott Diamond (9-4, 3.89) counters for Durham. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. Tony Schiavone has the call beginning at 6:00 p.m. on 97.7 FM and WSBRadio.com.

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International League Stories from July 31, 2015


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