Gray Drives In 5, Durham Slams Charlotte 9-2

Bulls shortstop Tristan Gray clubbed three hits, including a grand slam, and drove in five runs, while center fielder Kameron Misner homered and first baseman Jonathan Aranda extended his hit streak to twelve games in Durham’s 9-2 victory over the Charlotte Knights on Friday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

RF Ruben Cardenas got the Bulls on the board with an RBI triple in the second, with DH Diego Infante adding a run-scoring single in the fourth to make it a 2-0 Durham lead. Following a single tally by the Knights in the top of the fifth, the Bulls burst the game open with a six-run fifth frame that began with Misner’s 438-foot solo shot before Gray put the exclamation mark on the big inning with his grand slam. Charlotte would plate another score in the seventh, though Gray would then drive in his fifth run of the night with an RBI double to the center field wall.

Gray (3-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI) led the way with his three knocks, with Infante (2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) adding a multi-hit effort of his own. Aranda singled in the fifth inning to extend his hit streak to 12, matching Gray for the longest stretch by a Durham player this season.

Bulls reliever Justin Sterner (1.0 IP, 1 SO) earned the win in support of starter Cooper Criswell’s (4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO) four shutout innings of work. Knights starting pitcher Chase Solesky (4.1 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO), meanwhile, suffered the defeat.

The two teams are scheduled to face off again on Saturday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35pm. LHP Jacob Lopez is anticipated to toe the rubber for Durham, with LHP John Parke is expected to get the nod for Charlotte.

Tickets for that game and all 2023 Durham Bulls home games are available, and can be purchased at DurhamBulls.com, or by calling 919.956.BULL.