Knights Beat Bulls 9-8 In 12 Innings

Bulls designated hitter Jonathan Aranda recorded four hits, including a home run, while driving in five runs and shortstop Xavier Edwards crushed a two-run home run, however Knights catcher Carlos Perez smashed a walk-off home run in the twelfth inning of Charlotte’s 9-8 win over Durham on Sunday evening at Truist Field.

Edwards went deep with a two-run blast to put the Bulls up 2-0 in the third, however the Knights answered with a trio of tallies in the last of the third highlighted by DH Eloy Jimenez’s two-run shot. Aranda would then even the contest with an RBI single in the fifth before Charlotte grabbed the 4-3 advantage back in the seventh.

Aranda later crushed a three-run blast in the ninth to put Durham ahead 6-4, however the Knights answered with two runs in the last of the frame to force extra innings. Following a scoreless tenth frame, Aranda drove in his fifth run of the night with an RBI single to center to make it 7-6, yet Charlotte answered again to force a 12th frame. LF Ryan Boldt scored on a wild pitch in the top of the frame before Perez blasted his game-winning longball in the bottom of the frame.

Aranda (4-6, R, HR, 5 RBI) posted a game-high four hits and drove in five runs, while Edwards (2-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB) and RF Miles Mastrobuoni (2-6, 2 R) each tallied two knocks. The home runs by Aranda and Edwards means the Bulls have homered in 45 of their last 55 games dating back to May 1, totaling 46 roundtrippers.

Durham returns home on Monday, July 4 to start a six-game series against the Memphis Redbirds, the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. First pitch of that contest is set for 6:35pm. RHP Easton McGee is slated to toe the rubber for the Bulls, while the Redbirds are set to give the nod to RHP Aaron Brooks.

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