Bulls Come Back to Edge Clippers in Opener

DURHAM, NC - The Durham Bulls scored two runs in the eighth inning for a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Columbus Clippers Monday night at the DBAP, winning their third straight game.

Trailing by a run entering the eighth, Durham's Daniel Robertson led off the inning with a walk, and Casey Gillaspie followed with a single that sent Robertson to third. Taylor Motter then followed with a game-tying single, before Curt Casali's sacrifice fly to center scored Gillaspie for a 3-2 lead. In the ninth Adam Kolarek worked around an infield single and a throwing error to begin the inning to earn his second save of the year.

The Bulls (60-77) scored the game's first run on a two-out, RBI single by Casali in the fourth. In the seventh Columbus (79-58) scored their only two runs of the contest on a two-run dinger by Ronny Rodriguez over the Blue Monster for a one-run lead.

Ryan Garton (3-0) earned the win in relief for Durham, tossing a scoreless eighth inning, while Craig Stammen (0-3) suffered the loss after surrendering a pair of runs in the eighth. Justin Marks took a no-decision for the Bulls, despite allowing just two runs on four hits across seven frames and striking out nine.

Casali's two-RBI performance led the Durham offense, while Gillaspie and Motter each tallied a pair of hits out of the three and four spots in the lineup, respectively.

The series continues Tuesday at 7:05 p.m., when the Bulls send RHP Jaime Schultz (5-6, 3.48) to the mound against RHP Toru Murata (7-4, 3.99) for the Clippers.

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