Bulls' Momentum Stalled in Norfolk
Published on May 30, 2026 under International League (IL)
Durham Bulls News Release
Norfolk, VA - Creed Willems hit a game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to lead the Norfolk Tides past the Durham Bulls 8-5 at Harbor Park on Saturday night.
The Bulls (23-34) tied the game with three in the seventh inning thanks to a two-run double by Carson Williams. Williams drove home three runs in his first game back with Durham after being optioned by Tampa Bay.
The Tides (22-34) won the game in the 10th against reliever Evan Reifert (L, 3-2). Tommy Pham singled softly to right field to move the placed baserunner - Michael Siani - to third.
After Johnathan Rodriguez tapped to the mound for the first out, Willems hammered the first pitch over the right field bullpen to send 10,149 fans into a state of delirium.
Norfolk scored a run in both the first and second innings against Ty Johnson. Johnson had not allowed an earned run over four career Triple-A starts. In the first, a sun-aided pop fly dropped with two outs in shallow left-center to score Siani. A sacrifice fly by Jud Fabian in the second brought Jose Barrero home.
Durham tied the game 2-2 in the fourth thanks to a double from Williams and a game-tying single by Blake Sabol.
Norfolk reclaimed the lead in the sixth against Johnson and reliever Owen Wild. Johnson issued a two-out walk before departing his longest Triple-A start. Wild surrendered a run-scoring double from Ryan Noda, then a two-run homer to Barrero.
The Tides lead the series 3-games-to-2 ahead of Sunday's finale. Mason Englert (0-1, 4.70) is slated to start against Christian Herberholz (0-1, 3.00) at 1:05 PM ET.
Notes: Justyn-Henry Malloy left the game in the eighth, an inning after diving back into the third base bag after Christian Encarnacion-Strand flagged a foul pop by Raynel Delgado.
Strand pushed off the netting and threw to third base in an attempt to double Malloy off the bag. Malloy stretched into the base as the throw was dropped by Noda, but lay on the ground with an apparent injury to his right shoulder. Malloy was checked out by the athletic training staff and remained in the game. He then scored on a passed ball and played one more inning defensively in left field before departing the game to start the bottom of the eighth inning... The Tides were a perfect 6-for-6 in ABS challenges... Saturday's game was the second of the five games in the series to go extras. Durham won Tuesday's game 4-2 in 10 innings.
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