Ian Locke: Aquino

[weams]

Jayson Aquino worked six strong innings, Johnny Giavotella had three hits and Robert Andino homered as Norfolk knocked off Charlotte 3-1 Friday night at Harbor Park.

 

Aquino (1-1) became the first Norfolk pitcher to record a Quality Start this season as he helped pitch the Tides to a win in the opener of a three-game set. The 24-year-old southpaw yielded one unearned run on five hits in his outing, striking out eight without walking a batter. He threw 62 of his 90 pitches for strikes and struck out four of the final six batters he faced to help Norfolk snap a three-game losing skid.

 

Andino got the Tides on the board with a solo homer off of Tyler Danish (1-1) in the second inning, his first long ball of the season. Giavotella later added an RBI double in the third frame and a run-scoring single in the fifth, giving him 13 hits through nine games this season.

 

Giavotella has now hit safely in eight of nine games to open 2017, batting .381 (13-37) with a league-high five doubles and three RBI.

 

Scott McGough followed Aquino’s efforts with two scoreless innings of relief before giving way to Logan Verrett, who struck out one in a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the season.