Hudson's Heroics Lead Bulls To 8-6 Walk-Off Win

Joe Hudson homers twice as Durham increases division lead to 3.5 games

(Paxton Rembis (Durham Bulls))

September 9, 2022

Bulls catcher Joe Hudson hammered two home runs, including the game-winning two-run blast in the ninth, while center field Josh Lowe launched a solo blast of his own and right fielder Luke Raley collected three hits in Durham’s dramatic 8-6 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Friday evening at Durham

Bulls catcher Joe Hudson hammered two home runs, including the game-winning two-run blast in the ninth, while center field Josh Lowe launched a solo blast of his own and right fielder Luke Raley collected three hits in Durham’s dramatic 8-6 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on Friday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The win extends Durham’s lead in the International League East Division to three and a half games with seventeen games remaining.

Entering the last of the ninth trailing 6-5, Raley started the rally with a single to center before moving to second on a wild pitch and scoring on 3B Tristan Gray’s game-tying double to the left-center field wall. That would set the stage for Hudson, who clubbed a 3-1 offering off the Blue Monster left field wall to cue the celebration.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre went ahead with a two-run first frame, before Lowe lofted a solo shot to left-center to narrow the deficit to one. One inning later, Hudson laced a solo shot of his own to left to even the contest, while Lowe’s RBI single to center put Durham ahead 3-2. The RailRiders would take back the lead with a two-run sixth, though the Bulls answered in the last of the sixth courtesy of SS Alika Williams’ RBI single. The two teams would then swap a tally in the eighth before Scranton/Wilkes-Barre grabbed the lead in the ninth, leading to Hudson’s heroics.

Hudson (3-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB) and Raley (3-4, R) recorded a game-high three hits for the Bulls, with Lowe (2-5, R, HR, 2 RBI) and Gray (2-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB) adding multi-hit efforts of their own. With three more home runs on Friday, Durham batters have now crushed 189 longballs this year, which leads all International League teams.

Bulls starter Dusten Knight (1.0 IP, H, R, ER, 2 BB, SO) earned the victory. RailRiders righty Tyler Duffey (0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, SO), meanwhile, suffered the defeat.

The two teams are set to continue their six-game set on Saturday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35pm. RHP Taj Bradley is anticipated to get the nod for Durham, while Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s starting pitcher has not yet been announced.

Tickets for that game and all remaining 2022 home dates can be purchased at DurhamBulls.com/tickets.