Bulls Down Knights 5-1 in Charlotte

Fort Mill, SC --- Cole Figueroa delivered a tie-breaking single and added an insurance run with a single in the 8th to lift the Durham Bulls past Charlotte 5-1 on Wednesday night.

Cole Figueroa's two-out grounder to center scored Shelley Duncan from second base in the sixth to hand the Bulls a 2-1 lead.

Figueroa then added his third hit of the night, an RBI-single in the 8th to boost the Bulls' lead to 3-1.

The Bulls took a 1-0 lead against Johnson in the first after Brandon Guyer doubled with two outs, then scored on a Leslie Anderson single off the base of the right field wall. 

Charlotte tied the game 1-1 in the second against Matt Buschmann, when Josh Phegley clubbed a solo homer to left-center.

Top prospect RH Erik Johnson, making his third start at AAA, left the game after three innings.

Durham had strong scoring chances in the fourth and fifth, getting leadoff doubles by Leslie Anderson and Cole Figueroa, but each frame, the Bulls failed to bring a run home.

In the Charlotte 8th, Lueke struck out Mike McDade on a 1-2 pitch to strand the bases loaded. Lueke had walked a pair after inheriting a baserunner from Adam Liberatore.

Durham added two extra insurance runs in the ninth on a Vince Belnome single to left-center, plating Tim Beckham. Shelley Duncan doubled home Guyer to make it 5-1.

Buschmann (W, 3-0) worked six innings, allowing three hits and one run, fanning six.

Lueke (S, 10) notched the save by recording the final five outs.

The Bulls return home for Independence Day on Thursday night at 6:05 PM ET against 2nd-place Norfolk. JD Martin (9-4) makes the start for the Bulls.