Bulls Win 3-2 In Electrifying Return To DBAP

Logan Driscoll singled home Gionti Turner with the winning run in the 9^th as Durham rallied past first-place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 3-2 before 9,929 fans on Education Day at the DBAP Tuesday afternoon.

Driscoll’s knock capped a 3-4 day that witnessed the Bulls’ (9-13) late-game surge against the RailRiders (13-8). Durham trailed 2-0 in the seventh and had managed just two hits before Alex Jackson jumpstarted the comeback with a solo home run in the 7^th, his team-leading seventh.

In the eighth, Driscoll, who singled to lead off the inning, was forced out at second base on a Ronny Simon grounder. However, Simon’s hustle to barely beat out the return throw kept the tying run aboard for the Bulls. CJ Hinojosa followed with a bloop single, pushing Simon to second. Kameron Misner then stroked a game-tying single to right to make it 2-2.

After Enmanuel Mejia (W, 1-0) needed just nine pitches to get through the top of the ninth, Jackson set up the game-winning finish. Jackson drilled the first pitch of the inning from Yerry De Los Santos (L, 1-1) into centerfield for a single. After Dominic Smith popped out, a key sequence would give Durham the setup to win the game. Ruben Cardenes hit an easy one-hopper back to De Los Santos, but the RailRider pitcher juggled and dropped the ball, erasing an opportunity to cut down the lead runner. Cardenas was thrown out, but Jackson reached second base. Manager Morgan Ensberg deployed Gionti Turner off the bench to pinch-run for Jackson.

The heroics for Driscoll came two pitches later, guiding a soft single to left field, sending Turner streaking for the plate, diving headfirst, helmetless to win the game for the Bulls.

Strong pitching across the game supported the Bulls’ win. Mason Montgomery worked six frames, allowing just a two-run homer in the second inning, fanning seven without issuing a walk. Michael Gomez threw two powerful perfect innings against his former team, striking out five.

The win was in Durham’s first home game since April 7^th. The Bulls concluded their longest road trip of the year on Sunday, going 5-7 over a 13-day trip to Lehigh Valley and Worcester.

Durham’s six-game homestand continues under the Tuesday night lights at 6:35 PM ET with Jacob Lopez (2-1, 7.59) slated to start against Will Warren (2-0, 5.28)

Tickets for tomorrow’s game and all 2024 Durham Bulls home contests are available and can be purchased online at DurhamBulls.com.