Bulls fall to the Knights, eliminated from playoffs
Durham surrendered a four-run lead and allowed five home runs in an 11-7 loss to Charlotte Thursday afternoon at BB&T Ballpark. With the loss, Durham was eliminated from playoff contention.
Trailing 7-3 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Chris Jacobs hit a two-run homer to cut the deficit to two. After Chris Curley followed with a dinger to make it a 7-6 ballgame, Dayan Viciedocracked a two-run long ball to put Charlotte (73-67) in front by a run. In the eighth, the home side increased its advantage to 11-7 on a three-run home run by Micah Johnson.
Charlotte took an early lead when it plated a run in the first inning on an RBI single by Matt Tuiasosopo. Durham tied the contest in the third though, as Boog Powell cracked his first career Triple-A home run to rightfield.
In the fourth, the Bulls (71-69) struck again, as Powell singled home Alec Sole and Wilmer Dominguez, each making their Triple-A debuts. Three batters later Corey Brown knocked a single to right, scoring Powell and putting Durham ahead 4-1. The Knights countered in the bottom of the frame however, on a two-run homer by Tuiasosopo.
The visitors put some distance between themselves and the home side in the fifth inning, as again the Bulls (71-69) struck for a trio of runs. Dominguez singled to right to score Cameron Seitzer, and Powell followed with an RBI single of his own. Ryan Brett then followed with a sacrifice fly, scoring Dominguez for a 7-3 Durham advantage.
Blake Smith (1-2) earned the win for the Knights, tossing two innings of scoreless relief. Andrew Bellatti (2-1) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks in just 1 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. Southpaw Everett Teaford left the game with a 7-3 lead, but the Durham bullpen surrendered eight runs on four home runs over its three innings of work.
Offensively Powell tied a career-high with four hits, while setting a new career-high with four RBI. Seitzer finished the game 2-for-5 with a run, while Brown's fourth-inning single extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
The teams square off in the rubber match of the three-game set Friday when Durham sends LHP Blake Snell (5-2, 1.60) to the hill opposite RHP Terance Marin (3-3, 2.76) for Charlotte. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Thursday’s box score
Durham Bulls | ab | r | h | bi |
Powell, CF | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Brett, 2B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Motter, RF | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Brown, DH | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Rickard, LF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Seitzer, 1B | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Elmore, 3B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Sole, SS | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Dominguez, C | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Totals | 41 | 7 | 13 | 7 |
Charlotte Knights | ab | r | h | bi |
Johnson, 2B | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Coats, CF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Viciedo, 1B | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
Davidson, 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tuiasosopo, RF | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Smith, C | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Garcia, SS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Jacobs, DH | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Wilson, PR-DH | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Curley, LF | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Totals | 34 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
Durham | 001 | 330 | 000 | — | 7 | 13 | 0 |
Charlotte | 100 | 200 | 53X | — | 11 | 12 | 3 |
E — Johnson 2, Davidson. DP–Durham 1, Charlotte 0. LOB–Durham 11, Charlotte 4. 2B–Powell, Rickard, Seitzer, Motter. HR—Powell (1) Tuiasosopo (18), Jacobs (2) Curley (2), Viciedo (7), Johnson (8). SF–Brett. SB–Brown (15).
DurhamIP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |
Teaford | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Bellatti (L, 2-1) | 12/3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
Markel | 11/3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
CharlotteIP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |
Carroll | 32/3 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Chalas | 21/3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Smith (W, 1-2) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Guerra | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 8:42 PM with the headline "Bulls fall to the Knights, eliminated from playoffs."