JACKSONVILLE (www.sportsdayjax.com) - Jeff Lindgren (4-2) tossed six strong innings of one-run baseball and Austin Allen homered to lead the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp over the Norfolk Tides 8-2 at 121 Financial Ballpark.
Allen (6) knotted the game at one apiece with a solo home run of his own in the second frame against Norfolk (28-10) starter Bruce Zimmermann (1-3) and Jacksonville (19-18) never looked back.
With one out in the third inning, Jacob Amaya doubled and scored two batters later on a single from Jerar Encarnacion to give the Jumbo Shrimp a 2-1 lead. It was their first lead in their prior 21.0 innings.
C.J. Hinojosa led off the fourth inning with a bloop single to center and a triple by Jake Mangum brought him home for a 3-1 lead. Cobie Fletcher-Vance reached on a fielder’s choice in the next at-bat that scored Mangum from third, pushing the advantage to 4-1.
The Tides scratched a run across in the seventh inning on a Colton Cowser single to cut into the Jumbo Shrimp lead 4-2.
In the home half of the seventh, Xavier Edwards walked, swiped second and advanced to third on a fly out. Then, Encarnacion walked, and Jordan Groshans singled in Edwards to extend the lead to 5-2.
Jacksonville picked up a trio of runs in the eighth inning to make it an 8-2 advantage. Back-to-back doubles by Allen and Mangum scored a run. After a strikeout, Edwards doubled in a run. Encarnacion hit a line drive single to center to plate the final run of the evening.
Lindgren surrendered a solo shot to Jordan Westburg (11) in the second inning to put Norfolk up 1-0.
Jacksonville will travel to Louisville to begin their six-game series with the Bats on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. from Louisville Slugger Field. The Jumbo Shrimp will start LHP Sean Nolin (1-0, 3.22).