Jumbo Shrimp Topple Bulls 4-3

Dini crushes homer, Mead drives in two in defeat

Bulls 3B Curtis Mead drove in two runs in Durham's 4-3 defeat in Jacksonville on Friday night at 121 Financial Ballpark. (Brian Fleming)

April 7, 2023

Bulls catcher Nick Dini smashed two hits, including a home run, and third baseman Curtis Mead drove in two runs, however Jumbo Shrimp designated hitter C.J. Hinojosa’s game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth gave Jacksonville a 4-3 victory over Durham on Friday night at 121 Financial Ballpark. After the Jumbo

Bulls catcher Nick Dini smashed two hits, including a home run, and third baseman Curtis Mead drove in two runs, however Jumbo Shrimp designated hitter C.J. Hinojosa’s game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth gave Jacksonville a 4-3 victory over Durham on Friday night at 121 Financial Ballpark.

After the Jumbo Shrimp grabbed an early 1-0 advantage in the first, the Bulls answered with a three-spot in the third. Dini slammed a solo homer to even the contest before Mead clubbed a two-run double to right-center to put Durham ahead 3-1. Jacksonville, however, would even the contest at 3-3 with two tallies in the fourth, a score that would remain the same until Hinojosa’s game-winning sacrifice fly in the ninth.

Dini (2-3, R, HR, RBI, BB), 1B Ben Gamel (2-5) and SS Tristan Gray (2-5, 2B) each recorded multi-hit efforts for the Bulls. Jumbo Shrimp 2B Xavier Edwards (3-5, R), meanwhile, posted a game-high three knocks.

Neither team’s starting pitcher, Durham’s Cooper Criswell (5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO) nor Jacksonville’s Bryan Hoeing (4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO) factored in the final decisions. Jumbo Shrimp reliever Anthony Maldonado (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 SO) earned the win by firing the final two scoreless frames, while Bulls righty Heath Hembree (0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER) suffered the loss.

Durham and Jacksonville are scheduled to continue their six-game series on Saturday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05pm. RHP Luis Patino is anticipated to get the start for the Bulls and be opposed by LHP Devin Smeltzer.

The Bulls return home on Tuesday, April 11 to begin a six-game homestand versus the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-Affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. First pitch of that series’ opener is scheduled for a special Education Day 11:05am start.

Tickets for that game and all 2023 Durham Bulls home games are available, and can be purchased at DurhamBulls.com, or by calling 919.956.BULL.