Daz Cameron hit a pair of homers and drove in six runs and Cole Irvin improved to 6-1 with Norfolk as the Tides defeated the Gwinnett Stripers 8-3 in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday at Harbor Park.
The Stripers earned a split with a 7-0 victory in the nightcap as Nick Margevicius and Dereck Rodríguez combined on a two-hitter.
The Tides (37-16) lead the series 2-1 and their lead over Durham in the International League’s East Division is seven games.
Cameron hit a two-run shot in the first inning, added a three-run homer in the third and hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth of the opener.
Irvin did the rest, limiting the Stripers (23-30) to two runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked none.
Ofreidy Gómez gave up a run in the seventh inning to close it out.
Jordan Westburg hit an RBI double and Mark Kolozsvary worked a bases-loaded walk to account for the Tides’ other runs.
In the second game, Joseph Rosa had both of the Tides’ hits. Margevicius allowed them both in five innings. He struck out three and walked none. Rodríguez tossed two hitless innings with five strikeouts.
Tides starter Drew Rom (4-4) allowed two runs on five hits in three innings. He had five strikeouts, but also five walks. Relievers Kyle Dowdy and Darwinzon Hernández didn’t fare any better, giving up a combined five runs in four innings.
Chadwick Tromp hit a two-run homer in a three-run sixth inning for the Stripers.
The teams will play again at 12:05 p.m. Thursday.
