Knights Drop Rubber Match 4-1 in Durham
June 4, 2015 - International League (IL1)
Charlotte Knights News Release
(DURHAM, NC) - The Durham Bulls were able to top the Charlotte Knights 4-1 in Thursday's rubber match at Durham Bulls Athletic Park behind strong pitching performances by starter Scott Diamond and a trio of Bulls relievers.
Curt Casali - who acted as the Bulls DH on Thursday - homered off of Maikel Cleto in the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday night to cut the Knights lead to 4-2. On Thursday, Casali made it two home runs in as many at-bats when he sent a Shawn Haviland offering over the wall in left-center field to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
Durham added to their lead in the fourth when J.P Arencibia singled and scored on a Richie Shaffer double - one of three runs scored by Arencibia in the game.
The Knights would get on the 'board in the top of the sixth inning when Jason Coats slapped a double to left field - his sixth two-bagger of the season - and then scored on a Matt Davidson single. The RBI was Davidson's 32nd on the season, breaking the tie with Coats for the team lead.
Bulls starter LHP Scott Diamond would allow only the one run as he scattered four hits over 5.1 innings pitched - earning his fifth win of the season.
The trio of RHP Preston Guilmet, LHP C.J. Riefenhauser, and RHP Ronald Belisario combined to throw the final 3.2 hitless, scoreless innings in relief of Diamond to seal the victory for the Bulls. Belisario would strike out two in the final 1.1 innings to earn his 14th save of the season.
Knights starter RHP Shawn Haviland would be saddled with the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits over five innings pitched.
RHP Miguel Chalas was the first pitcher to relieve Haviland, spinning 2.0 innings of one-run baseball. The Bulls final run came in the bottom of the sixth inning when Arencibia led off the frame with a double and later came in to score on a sacrifice fly.
LHP Zach Phillips would relieve Chalas and throw a perfect eighth inning to keep the Knights within three runs. The lefty has now tallied five consecutive scoreless outings - a span of 5.1 innings pitched.
With the Bulls winning the final game of the series, and Norfolk Tides being rained out on Thursday, the Knights find themselves in a three-way tie for first place in the International League South division as they welcome Norfolk to Uptown Charlotte for a three-game, weekend series starting on Friday night.
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