Shrimp walk by Bulls, 9-6

Durham, N.C. — After a determined Durham rally to tie the game in the eighth, Jacksonville scored five runs in the ninth inning to trip up the Bulls for the second straight night, 9-6 Friday night at the DBAP.

Trailing 4-1 in the sixth, Durham left fielder Jake Mangum drilled a two-run home run to make it 4-3. In the eighth, Mangum bounced a game-tying single off the glove of reliever Calviin Faucher to score CJ Hinojosa to make it 4-4, but the tie was short-lived.

In the ninth, Colby White (L, 0-1) issued three straight walks before striking out Jonathan Davis. But White walked the next batter to force in the go-ahead run. After Joe Record entered to relieve White, the Shrimp (4-3) scored four more runs on a passed ball, a force out and a two-run single by Troy Johnston. 

The Bulls (2-5) didn’t go quietly in the last of the night, scoring twice with two outs and bringing the tying run to the plate. However, Mangum flied to medium centerfield on the first pitch to end the game.

Hinojosa went 4-5 to pace the Durham offense, which stranded 12 baserunners one night after leaving 14 aboard.

Nathan Wiles worked five innings, permitting four runs on a pair of homers. Former Bulls infielder Tristan Gray hit his fourth home run in four games against Durham, a solo shot in the fourth against Wiles.

The series moves to its fifth game on Saturday night with Jacob Lopez (1-0, 1.80) scheduled to make the start at 6:35 PM ET.