Jacksonville, FL – A ninth-inning rally fell just short as the Nashville Sounds dropped Sunday’s series finale to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 4-3, settling for a series split at VyStar Ballpark. The Sounds offense was held scoreless through the last 5.1 innings of the game, coming just inches short of scoring the tying run.
The Sounds got on the board first for the third straight game this week as Tyler Black ripped a leadoff double into right center field. Ethan Murray followed with an infield base hit to the third baseman and advanced Black to third base. Brock Wilken hit a warning tack sacrifice fly to score Black from third, but Murray was doubled off at first base as a promising start resulted in just a one-run lead for the Sounds.
Jacob Hurtubise added the second run for Nashville in the top of the second inning as he drew a two-out walk in the frame. He stole his 13th bag of the season with Christian MacLeod attempting to pick him off at first and threw it away, allowing Hurtubise to score from first base on the play to make it 2-0.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Jumbo Shrimp finally got to Colton Gordon as he allowed a one-out solo homer to left field by Garret Forrester and cut Nashville’s lead in half. The Sounds answered Jacksonville’s run in the top of the fourth frame with a Jeferson Quero solo blast to left field, his third straight game with a homer.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Jumbo Shrimp jumped ahead for a 4-3 lead as Gordon allowed a single to lead off the frame. Matthew Etzel hammered his fourth home run of the series to tie the game at three. Three at-bats later, Graham Pauley hit a no-doubter into right field and gave Jacksonville its first lead since Thursday night’s game in the bottom of the seventh.
Gordon ended his day allowing four runs on five hits, including three homers and a season-high nine strikeouts in six innings of work. Cameron Wagoner and Brett Wichrowski tossed a scoreless inning each allowing a combined three hits and a strikeout heading into the final inning for the Sounds.
Nashville began its last threat in the top of the ninth inning with a Hurtubise one-out walk. Daniel Guilarte lined a base hit into center field, his third straight game with a hit, and advanced Hurtubise to third. After Guilarte stole second and put both runners in scoring position, Eduardo Garcia flew out to left field.
With one out and the tying run at third, Guilarte ran into the final out, getting tagged out at third before Hurtubise could cross the plate and even the score as the Jumbo Shrimp hung on for the win and a series split.
After two weeks on the road, the Sounds will finally return home to First Horizon Park to take on the Louisville Bats (Triple-A, Cincinnati Reds) on Tuesday, September 1st. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm.
