NORFOLK, Va. (WTKR) — If there was any doubt if the Norfolk Tides' opening night roster would reach the level of hype it received in the preseason, Jackson Holliday quieted them with one swing of the bat.
On just the fourth pitch he faced on the season, the top prospect by Baseball America launched a 403 foot home run into right field, starting an offensive explosion for the Tides.
Norfolk would go on to score seven runs in the eighth inning en route to a 12-8 opening night win over Durham.
"I'd been thinking about hitting a homer all day, just would be great to hit a homer in the first game," Holliday said. "I wasn't trying to get a homer, I was just trying to get a hit and good things happen when you do that."
The second baseman went 3-for-5 on at the plate with the first-inning big fly, followed by a sacrifice fly in the second frame and a two-RBI double in the fourth.
"The experience of this last spring training is very helpful. To be able to compete against guys who are all-stars and to put together some pretty good at-bats against them," Holliday said. "It gives me another edge."
Rightfielder Connor Norby went 4-for-6 with two RBIs, while Peyton Burdick smacked a two-run home run in the second inning to help grow the Norfolk lead to 7-0 in the second inning. He would finish 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs as well.
Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo each posted two hits, with Kjerstad bringing home two runs in the second inning.
"It's a pretty crazy lineup we're able to put out there in Triple A," Holliday said. "Fans have a lot of that to look forward to with this lineup."
The Tides scored their first win in an opening night game since 2017. 10,265 fans packed Harbor Park, making it the largest home opener for Norfolk in six years.
Norfolk takes the diamond again on Saturday against Durham with first pitch set for 6:35 P.M.
