Arencibia, Brown Power Bulls Past Bisons

DURHAM, NC - The Durham Bulls blanked the Buffalo Bisons, 7-0 Tuesday night at the DBAP in the opener of a three-game series.

JP Arencibia led the offense, going 4-for-5 with a pair of solo homers and three runs scored, while Corey Brown finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, falling just a single short of the cycle.

Backing up the offensive prowess was a stellar performance by the Durham pitching staff, as Andrew Bellatti (2-0) won his second straight start, allowing just two hits and striking out five over five innings. The rehabbing Jake McGee tossed a perfect sixth inning on just 14 pitches, before Jim Miller, Jordan Norberto and Bryce Stowell each tossed a scoreless frame to preserve Durham's second shutout of the season.

The Bulls (15-11) got things started in the fourth inning, when Arencibia hit his first homer of the game over the Blue Monster for a 1-0 lead. In the sixth, Arencibia led off with a single, and promptly scored on Brown's triple down the right field line. After a walk and a pop out, Leonardo Reginatto singled home Brown, before Eugenio Velez knocked an RBI single to score Luke Maile for a 4-0 advantage.

In the seventh Arencibia and Brown struck again, hitting back-to-back one-out homers for a 6-0 lead, before Arencibia drove in the game's final run with an RBI single in the eighth. With two outs in the eighth, Brown looped a liner to shallow right field, but second baseman Kevin Nolan snared it to prevent Brown from hitting for the cycle.

Southpaw Andrew Albers (1-4) took the loss for Buffalo (15-10), allowing just one run over five innings on five hits.

Reginatto and Mikie Mahtook each finished with two hits on the evening, while the rehabbing Nick Franklin went 1-for-3 before he was lifted for a pinch runner in the sixth.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Wednesday, when Durham sends RHP Dylan Floro (2-2, 4.60) to the mound opposite LHP Daniel Norris  (NR) for the Bisons. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.