Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By: John Stanley (Norfolk Tides)

NORFOLK, VA — The Norfolk Tides (2-0) defeated the Durham Bulls (0-2), 12-6, on Saturday night at Harbor Park. The Tides take the first series of the season and have won four straight games vs. the Bulls dating back to the 2023 International League Playoffs.

Durham scored first Saturday night when Ronny Simon knocked an RBI single in the first. But Norfolk answered right back with three runs of their own. After Jackson Holliday led off with a double and later advanced to third, Heston Kjerstad tied the game on a sac fly. The Tides scored two more runs on a error by Durham to take a 3-1 lead.

Norfolk doubled their score in the second with another three runs. Coby Mayo knocked in the first run on a double, then scored along with Kjerstad on a two-run single by Kyle Stowers to make it 6-1, Tides.

The run parade continued for the Tides in the fourth as they plated another three runs on a three-run homer by Stowers. Connor Norby followed with his own two-run homer in the fifth to put the Tides up 11-1.

The Bulls cut into the Tides massive lead in the sixth with four runs. Junior Caminero knocked in the first run on a single, but Tides starter Bruce Zimmermann settled down and struck out the next two batters. After allowing a single to his final batter, he was relieved by Garrett Stallings. Stallings stopped the bleeding after three more runs crossed, cutting the Tides lead to 11-5.

The Tides bounced back in the seventh inning when Kjerstad knocked in a run on a single. Durham answered right away in the eighth when C.J. Hinojosa knocked an RBI single to put the game at 12-6.

Matt Krook entered the ninth for the Tides to make his Orioles organization debut and closed the game out to clinch the 12-6 victory and the series. The series finale is set to start tomorrow on Easter Sunday at 1:05 p.m. LHP John Means (0-0, -.–) will make the start in his first outing on Major League rehab. He is set to face off against Durham’s probable LHP Jacob Lopez (0-0, -.–).