Schunk Homers, Drives In Four as Stripers Edge Express 8-7

Aaron Schunk went 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs Thursday night at Dell Diamond, then watched James Karinchak escape a bases-loaded ninth inning to preserve Gwinnett's 8-7 win over the Round Rock Express.

The victory lifted the Stripers to 3-3, a meaningful response after a sluggish opening stretch. Schunk drove the offense from the heart of the order, his home run sparking a rally that a collection of timely doubles and run-scoring singles eventually built into an eight-run total. The Express' pitching staff absorbed pressure throughout, but Gwinnett created just enough separation when it counted.

Round Rock refused to fold. The Express generated enough offense to keep the margin at one run into the late innings, then loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth for one final shot at flipping the result. Karinchak got the final out and ended the threat, delivering a clean finish to a game that had been anything but.

Schunk's 3-for-3 line with four RBIs in a road one-run game is the kind of production that registers in Atlanta's front office. For a Stripers team blending veteran hitters with top prospects, his middle-of-the-order performance provided the backbone the lineup needed to outlast a resilient Express club.

Round Rock's bases-loaded ninth will prompt a hard review of late-inning bullpen usage and defensive alignment. The Express came up one run short at home, with a Dell Diamond crowd behind them and the tying run representing in the final frame. Karinchak, and one precisely executed out, made sure it stayed that way.