Jacksonville splits doubleheader with Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Joe Dunand homered twice to lead Jacksonville to a 6-4 win in game one of Thursday’s doubleheader, but the Jumbo Shrimp fell 3-2 to the Charlotte Knights in the finale from Truist Field.

Game 1

Jacksonville (41-32) trailed 4-3 when Dunand homered to tie the game in the sixth. In the seventh, Knights (27-47) reliever Connor Sadzeck (2-2) walked Zack Zehner with one out before Dunand smacked his second bomb of the game – his second career multi-homer contest – to put the Jumbo Shrimp in front 6-4.

Tommy Eveld came on in relief of Sean Guenther (3-1), who had worked 2.1 scoreless innings with four strikeouts, for the bottom of the seventh. Eveld worked around a leadoff single to pick up the save and seal Jacksonville’s first seven-game winning streak since 2017.

The Knights started the scoring initially in the twin bill opener. In the second inning, Jake Burger walked before Mikie Mahtook cranked a two-run homer for the game’s first runs.

Tevin Mitchell led off the third with a triple, and two batters later, Monte Harrison singled him in to get Jacksonville on the board.

Charlotte lined up their bottom of the third very similarly; Marco Hernandez tripled to begin the frame. After a ground out, Jake Lamb singled him in.

With the Jumbo Shrimp trailing 3-1, Justin Twine singled with one out in the fourth inning. Two batters later, Devin Hairston walloped his first Triple-A home run, a two-run shot, to knot the score. Charlotte, though, responded immediately in the bottom of the frame on a Nate Nolan sacrifice fly to go up 4-3.

Game 2

In the finale, Yermin Mercedes broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning by homering off Jumbo Shrimp starter Brandon Leibrandt (0-4).

Jacksonville could not muster any offense from there, as Hunter Schryver pitched a scoreless sixth in relief of John Parke (1-0), who won his Triple-A debut with two unearned runs on two hits in 5.0 innings. Bennett Sousa struck out the side in the seventh to earn his first save.

Zach Remillard started the bottom of the first inning with a long home run, but Jacksonville was able to finally take the lead in the third. Mitchell was hit by a pitch with one out before Bryson Brigman doubled him to third. After a ground out, an error scored two runs to make it 2-1 in favor of the Jumbo Shrimp.

The advantage, however, was short-lived. In the bottom of the inning, Laz Rivera was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the tally at two.

RHP Edward Cabrera (0-1, 4.15 ERA) starts for the Jumbo Shrimp in Friday’s 7:04 p.m. contest at Charlotte. Coverage begins at 6:49 p.m. on ESPN 690 AM and www.ESPN690.com.

ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp offer affordable family fun at 121 Financial Ballpark. Their inaugural season garnered the Southern League’s Don Mincher Organization of the Year, Promotional Trophy and Jimmy Bragan Executive of the Year, won by general manager Harold Craw. The club added its second Promotional Trophy in three years following the 2019 season. The 2021 season marks the return of Triple-A baseball in Jacksonville. To experience the excitement with the terrific value of ticket and group options, call the Jumbo Shrimp at (904) 358-2846 or visit www.jaxshrimp.com.