Durham Wins Governor's Cup Championship Series 3-2
September 15, 2018 - International League (IL1)
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders News Release
Durham Bulls celebrate International League title
(Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Credit: Brenden Willsch)
MOOSIC, Pa. - On Saturday, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders lost Game 5 of the 2018 International League Governor's Cup Championship to the Durham Bulls by a 6-2 final at PNC Field. Durham won their second consecutive Governor's Cup Championship and sixth in franchise history with a 3-2 series win in the best-of-five set.
Scranton native Joe McCarthy hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first to give the Bulls the early lead.
In the third, Durham added a pair of runs on three straight hits off of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Domingo German. McCarthy doubled and scored on a two-base hit by Rob Refsnyder, who later scored on a single by Austin Meadows for a 3-0 lead.
The Bulls doubled the lead in the fourth with three runs on a two-out, bases-loaded double by McCarthy for a 6-0 advantage.
The RailRiders broke up the shutout bid in the top of the sixth. Mike Ford hit a two-run home run off Collin Poche, cutting the deficit to four.
Over the final three innings, however, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre managed just one hit against two Durham relievers.
Ruben Alaniz (1-0) pitched two scoreless for the win while German (0-1) took the loss.
Refsnyder was voted as the Governor's Cup Playoff Most Valuable Player. Over the course of nine games in the postseason, the former RailRider hit .367 for the Bulls with two home runs and six runs batted in.
Durham will now play against the Pacific Coast League Champion in the Triple-A National Championship Game on Tuesday, September 18, at Columbus's Huntington Park. The Bulls defeated the Memphis Redbirds in the 2017 National Championship Game, which was played at PNC Field.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre finished the regular season 73-65 and won the International League's Wild Card. The RailRiders ended the Lehigh Valley IronPigs campaign in the first round of the playoffs and fell one win shy of its third league title.
The 2019 season opens on the road at Buffalo on April 4 and the home schedule starts on April 11. For season tickets and more information call (570) 969-BALL or slide to www.swbrailriders.com/tickets.
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Durham Bulls celebrate International League title
(Brenden Willsch)
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