Durham Bulls baseball, Durham Bull updates, Durham Bulls news, Minor League Baseball, International League East, MLB, Tampa Bay Rays, Lawrence Davis III, Spectacular Magazine, Lawrence Davis III, Lawrence Davis Spectacular Magazine, Law Davis, Lawrence Davis head shot, Lawrence Davis mugshot, Lawrence Davis III Durham North Carolina, Florida, Photographer, Videographer, Content Creator, Law Davis III, Blonde hair, blonde braids, español, Lorenzo Davis, Puerto Rico, Spanish, Dominican Republic, Republica Dominicana,
Sports

Durham Bulls Advance to International League Championship

Lawrence Davis III @LawDavis13 @SpecMagSports

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Six Durham Bulls pitchers combined for a three-hit shutout, and third baseman Austin Shenton reached base five times, while designated hitter Ruben Cardenas and DH Niko Hulsizer each drove in runs as Durham clinched the International League’s Second Half title with a 3-0 victory over the Gwinnett Stripers on Friday evening at Coolray Field.

The Norfolk Tides, who won the league’s first half crown, will host the Bulls in a three-game playoff series at Harbor Park between September 26-28 to determine the International League champion. It is the 19th time in 25 seasons at the Triple-A level. Durham has secured a postseason berth, including Triple-A National Championships in each of the past two seasons.

Bulls starter Cooper Criswell (4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO) set the tone by setting down 12 of the 13 batters he faced, fanning five, with relievers Josh Fleming (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB), Ryan Burr (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 SO), Manuel Rodriguez (1.0 IP, 2 SO), Trevor Brigden (1.0 IP, 3 SO) and Javy Guerra (1.0 IP, 1 SO). Stripers reliever Nick Anderson (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB) suffered the loss.

The Bulls struck first with a single tally in the fifth, as CF Billy Hamilton lined a single to right, took second on an error, and then stole third before coming across on DH Ruben Cardenas’s sacrifice fly to right. One inning later, RF Kameron Misner would mash a triple to the right-center field gap and come plateward on LF Niko Hulsizer’s sacrifice fly, extending the advantage to 2-0. That margin would extend to three when 2B Ronny Simon came home on a throwing error.

Shenton (2-2, 3 BB) reached base in all five plate appearances and was the only batter from either side to record a multi-hit effort. Simon (1-3, 1 R, 2 BB) and Hulsizer (0-1, 1 RBI, 3 BB) reached base in three plate appearances.

The two teams are set to continue their six-game set on Saturday evening, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. RHP Nathan Wiles is scheduled to toe the rubber for Durham, with Gwinnett anticipated to give the nod to LHP Dylan Dodd.