Bulls Walk Off With 4-3 Win Over IronPigs

1B Ben Gamel's game-winning bases-loaded walk caps 3-run 9th to secure 5th straight win

(Kelly Teseny)

April 16, 2023

Bulls starting pitcher Elvin Rodriguez set down each of the first fourteen batters he faced and did not allow a hit until the sixth inning, while Durham first baseman Ben Gamel drew a game-winning bases-loaded walk to cap a three-run ninth-inning in a 4-3 comeback victory over the Lehigh Valley

Bulls starting pitcher Elvin Rodriguez set down each of the first fourteen batters he faced and did not allow a hit until the sixth inning, while Durham first baseman Ben Gamel drew a game-winning bases-loaded walk to cap a three-run ninth-inning in a 4-3 comeback victory over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Sunday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Entering the last of the ninth down two runs, CF Kameron Misner bashed an RBI double off the left field wall to make it a one-run game. SS Osleivis Basabe would then draw a game-tying bases-loaded walk before Gamel reached on his game-ending base on balls to extend the Bulls win streak to five.

Basabe got the scoring started with an RBI double off the left field wall. The score would remain the same until the sixth, when Frescia lofted his game-tying solo shot to left. Lehigh Valley would then plate two more runs, starting with Peterson’s go-ahead RBI single to right before LF Simon Muzziotti came plateward on a balk.

Rodriguez (6.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) was perfect into the fifth inning before yielding a two-out walk to Muzziotti. Frescia’s home run one inning later would end the no-hit bid, as well as Durham’s shutout hopes. Rodriguez did not factor in the final decisions, while reliever Heath Hembree (1.0 IP, 1 BB) earned the victory. Lehigh Valley righty Trey Cobb (0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO) suffered the loss.

Following an off day on Monday, the Bulls begin a six-game road series in Syracuse, with the series opener set for Tuesday, April 18. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm ET. RHP Hector Perez is anticipated to get the nod for Durham and be opposed by RHP Tony Dibrell.

The Bulls return to Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Tuesday, April 25 to start a six-game homestand against the Memphis Redbirds, the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. First pitch of the series opener is set for 11:05am.

Tickets for that game and all 2023 Durham Bulls home games are available, and can be purchased at DurhamBulls.com, or by calling 919.956.BULL.