JACKSONVILLE (www.sportsdayjax.com) – Coming off a record eight-game winning streak, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp fell to the Norfolk Tides 13-7 Sunday afternoon at 121 Financial Ballpark.
(File Photo by Jim Brady/Florida Sports Day)
Norfolk (69-44, 21-18) took the early lead in the top of the first. Connor Norby doubled off Jacksonville (55-58, 23-16) starter Devin Smeltzer (L, 4-7). Two batters later, Joey Ortiz doubled home Norby to plate the game’s first run. After a fly out, Josh Lester to make it 2-0.
Lewin Díaz started the second inning off with a double and Maverick Handley hit a two-bagger to make it a 3-0 contest. Shayne Fontana followed with a single. With runners at the corners, Norby walked to load the bases, Heston Kjerstad hit a sac fly to increase the lead to 4-0. An error on the throw home allowed Fontana and Norby to advance to second and third. Ortiz smacked an RBI single and Daz Cameron hit a sac fly to push the score to 6-0.
The Jumbo Shrimp got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Austin Allen led off with a single and went to second on a one-out single by Jacob Amaya. Paul McIntosh (5) walloped a three-run homer, cutting the deficit to 6-3. Griffin Conine followed with a triple and scored on a sac fly from Xavier Edwards to make it a two-run game.
The Tides added to their lead in the top of the fifth with a solo home run from Coby Mayo (3), padding the lead to 7-4.
Jacksonville drew closer in the bottom of the sixth. Edwards walked and Garrett Hampson singled with one out. Troy Johnston walked to load the bases and Dane Myers hit a sac fly to close the gap again, 7-5.
Norfolk blew the game open in the top of the seventh. Ortiz went to second on a fielding error and scored on a single by Cameron. Two wild pitches allowed Cameron to reach third and two batters later, Mayo reached on the second error of the inning to give the Tides a 9-5 lead. Díaz followed with a single and both runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Handley swatted a two-run single to push the lead to 11-5.
The Tides added a run in the eighth and ninth to take a commanding 13-5 lead.
The Jumbo Shrimp rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Amaya walked and reached second on a passed ball. McIntosh walked and two batters later, Edwards walked to load the bases. Hampson lashed a two-run single to cut the deficit to 13-7.
Jacksonville hits the road for a 12-game road trip, starting with six against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday. RHP Bryan Hoeing (1-0, 2.35 ERA) will start for the Jumbo Shrimp and Lehigh Valley will counter with RHP Griff McGarry (0-0, 27.00).