Bulls Top Charlotte 9-4 In Regular Season Finale

Durham ends regular season with 77-43 mark, begins postseason with Final Five pres. by Fifth Third Bank on Sept. 22

(Brian Fleming)

September 19, 2021

Bulls catcher Brett Sullivan smacked two hits and drove in four runs, while second baseman Esteban Quiroz lined a go-ahead two-run single as part of a five-run eighth inning in Durham’s 9-4 win over the Charlotte Knights on Sunday evening at Truist Field. With the win, the Bulls finished the

Bulls catcher Brett Sullivan smacked two hits and drove in four runs, while second baseman Esteban Quiroz lined a go-ahead two-run single as part of a five-run eighth inning in Durham’s 9-4 win over the Charlotte Knights on Sunday evening at Truist Field.

With the win, the Bulls finished the 2021 regular season with a 77-43 record, their highest record above the .500 mark of the season, as well as the best record among all 30 Triple-A squads in 2021. The squad’s .642 win percentage is also the highest in franchise history over a full season, besting the .636 win percentage set during the 1962 season.

The Knights jumped ahead with a two-run opening frame before adding a single tally in the third to make it 3-0. Sullivan would then narrow the deficit with an RBI single to right, though Charlotte extended the advantage to 4-1 with another single score in the fourth. One frame later, Sullivan evened the contest at 4-4 with a bases-clearing three-run double. Quiroz’s two-run single in the eighth would then be the start of Durham’s big five-run eighth inning also highlighted by 1B Dalton Kelly’s infielder RBI single.

RF Josh Lowe (3-4, 2 R, BB) posted a game-high three hits in the victory, with Sullivan (2-4, R, 2B, 4 RBI), Kelly (2-5, RBI) 3B Miles Mastrobuoni (2-5, R, 2B) adding multi-hit efforts as well.

Bulls southpaw Josh Fleming (1.0 IP, 2 K) earned the win with a perfect inning of relief, combining with five Durham hurlers for the final five shutout frames. Knights reliever Lane Ramsey (0.0 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB) suffered the defeat.

The Bulls return to Durham for their final homestand of the year on Wednesday, September 22, beginning the Triple-A Final Stretch with a five-game series versus the Gwinnett Stripers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. First pitch of the series opener is set for 6:35pm. Tickets for that game, as well as all remaining Bulls home games are available and can be purchased at DurhamBulls.com.