Lowe Lofts 2 Longballs, Bulls Shellack Shrimp 8-1

Bulls center fielder Josh Lowe launched two home runs and drove in four runs as part of a three-hit night, while first baseman Dalton Kelly also went deep in Durham’s 8-1 victory over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp on Tuesday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Kelly crushed the first pitch in the last of the first over the left field wall, his 11th big fly of 2021, to give the Bulls an early 1-0 lead. After Jacksonville evened the contest in the third, Lowe lofted his first blast of the evening, a two-run shot to left-center, to push Durham up 3-1. That margin would be extended to three in the fifth when 2B Miles Mastrobuoni lined an RBI single to right before Durham broke the game open with a four-run eighth, highlighted by Lowe’s second longball of the evening to right.

It was the second time this year Lowe has gone yard twice in a game for the Bulls, last doing so on May 7 at Memphis. He has totaled 11 roundtrippers this year, tying him with Kelly for most on the team. Lowe (3-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI) was joined by Mastrobuoni (2-3, 2 RBI, BB), C Brett Sullivan (2-4, R, 2B) and SS Tristan Gray (2-4, R, 2B, RBI) in posting multi-hit efforts.

Durham starter Drew Strotman (5.0 IP, 4 H, R, ER, BB, 6 K) earned the win after yielding one run on four hits, adding six strikeouts while the Bulls bullpen shined again as Brent Honeywell Jr. (2.0 IP, H, 2 K) and Sean Poppen (2.0 IP, H, K) each tossed two scoreless frames in support. Poppen notched his second save, while Jacksonville starter Nick Neidert (5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K) was handed his first loss of the season.

The two teams are set to continue their six-game series on Wednesday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35pm ET. LHP Dietrich Enns is anticipated to get the nod for the Bulls, while LHP Charlie Leibrandt is expected to toe the rubber for the Jumbo Shrimp. Tickets for that game and all remaining contests are available and can be purchased at DurhamBulls.com.