JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Nashville Sounds used a 13-hit barrage and a six-run third inning to set the tone in an 8-3 win over the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in front of 7,680 fans Thursday night at VyStar Ballpark.
Nashville (36-24) sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six to open the scoresheet in the top of the third against Jacksonville (34-26) starting pitcher Brandon White (L, 1-2). Ethan Murray and Tyler Black singled to begin the frame, and Murray scored on a Cooper Pratt base hit to plate the game’s first run. One batter later, Jett Williams smacked a two-run triple to bring around Black and Pratt. Williams trotted in soon after on an Akil Baddoo groundout. The rally restarted with one-out singles for Jeferson Quero and Luis Matos. Ramon Rodriguez continued the hit parade with an RBI single, scoring Quero. Murray’s second single of the inning brought in Matos to hand Nashville a 6-0 headstart.
Jacksonville broke their goose egg in the home fourth. Back-to-back walks to Matthew Etzel and Graham Pauley followed by a double steal put two runners in scoring position for Brian Navarreto, who sent a sacrifice fly to center field to bring in Etzel and lower the deficit to 6-1.
Navarreto struck again in the bottom of the sixth as the Jumbo Shrimp capitalized on multiple free passes. A one-out hit-by-pitch to Johnny Olmstead and walk to Ethan O’Donnell, followed by another successful double steal, set up Navarreto’s two-run single to cut the lead in half, 6-3.
The Sounds pieced together a two-out rally in the eighth to pad their lead. Murray walked and advanced to third on a Black double. Pratt scored them both with a scorching triple to the left-center alley to push the Nashville upper-hand to 8-3.
Brett Wichrowski (W, 1-0) earned the win in his first career Triple-A start behind 5.2 innings of three-hit, three-run ball with five walks and three strikeouts.
The series continues Friday at 7:05 p.m. with Jacksonville right-hander Bradley Blalock (1-5, 6.70) scheduled to start opposite Nashville southpaw Thomas Pannone (1-1, 3.03).
Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on Bally Live, MLB.tv and MiLB.tv,.
Gates open at 6 p.m. and fans can enjoy Friday Night Lites Happy Hour, presented by Miller Lite with $2 12-oz. Miller Lites and $1 off craft beer in the Craft Cave (runs from gates open – 7:30 p.m.), Red Shirt Friday with $1 savings on tickets for fans who wear red, and Hair Band Night with ballpark soundtracks from iconic hairbands.
ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins and compete in the International League. The 2025 International League and Triple-A National Champions, the Jumbo Shrimp call VyStar Ballpark home for baseball but also a wide variety of additional community focused events with a goal of providing Affordable, Family, FUN to Northeast Florida. Winners of many marketing and sales awards and recognition since the team was rebranded prior to the 2017 season, the Jumbo Shrimp continually lead the state of Florida in attendance across all minor league professional sports organizations.