Jacksonville storms out with seven-run first, beats Durham 11-5
Ethan O’Donnell’s grand slam capped a seven-run first inning, and Jacksonville rode it to an 11-5 win that closed the first half on a jarring note for Durham.
Jacksonville turned the game before Durham had settled in, scoring seven runs in the first inning Sunday night and rolling to an 11-5 win at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Ethan O’Donnell’s grand slam against Michael Forret turned the opening frame into a rout and gave the Jumbo Shrimp a finish to the first half built on immediate pressure and no hesitation.
The inning unraveled quickly for Forret, who struck out the leadoff batter before hitting Kemp Alderman with a pitch. Deyvison De Los Santos followed with a single, Rece Hinds drew a walk, and after another strikeout, Forret lost the zone again with back-to-back walks to Agustín Ramírez and Johnny Olmstead, forcing in two runs. O’Donnell then cleared the bases to right field, finishing the seven-run burst. Forret needed 43 pitches to get through just 2/3 of an inning, allowed one hit, hit one batter and walked three before Luis Guerrero replaced him.
Durham tried to answer, but Jacksonville had already built the kind of cushion that changes the shape of a Triple-A game. Connor Hujsak provided most of the Bulls’ punch with two home runs, a solo shot in the second and a two-run drive in the sixth, and he finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Logan Driscoll added a 2-for-4 night with a double and an RBI, but Durham managed only six hits total and never got close to forcing Jacksonville back into a tight finish.
Patrick Monteverde handled the lead well enough to protect it, striking out eight over five innings while allowing five runs. Jacksonville, which entered at 42-32, had won the final five games of the series after Durham took the opener, and the first-inning outburst served as the clearest snapshot of the club’s first-half identity: aggressive, opportunistic and dangerous the moment a starter shows cracks. For Durham, the loss dropped the Bulls into a tie for last in the International League East with the Norfolk Tides at 28-47, and after Monday’s off day, Durham was set to open the second half at Norfolk.
The broader league race had already moved on by then. The Memphis Redbirds clinched the International League’s first-half title June 21 with a 10-8 win over the Nashville Sounds, aided by Toledo’s win over Rochester, locking up a spot in the league finals in late September. Jacksonville’s finish to the first half left no doubt about how quickly a Triple-A night can be decided when the right lineup jumps on the wrong starter.
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