Bulls win International League title after silencing Sounds, 13-0

Las Vegas — Bulls shortstop Vidal Brujan bashed a game-high four hits, while left fielder Bligh Madris drove in four runs and first baseman Luke Raley collected three RBI as Durham won the International League Championship Game with a 13-0 rout of the Nashville Sounds on Saturday evening at Las Vegas Ballpark.

The victory gives the Bulls their eighth league title at the Triple-A level and second in a row after earning the 2021 Triple-A East title and 2021 Triple-A National Champion honors by posting the best overall record. Durham has earned league title honors in four of their last five seasons dating back through 2017, finishing runner-up in the International League Governors’ Cup Finals in 2019.

3B Tristan Gray started the scoring with an RBI single in the second before the Bulls exploded for four runs in the third courtesy of Raley’s two-run double, following by C Rene Pinto’s RBI single. Durham would then plate a trio of tallies in the subsequent frame to make it an eight-run advantage.

Raley drove in his third run of the night with an RBI single to center before Madris clubbed a two-run two-bagger to center.

Brujan would add to the advantage with an RBI single to right before beginning a four-run seventh with his fourth hit, a run-scoring single to left, to make it 10-0. LF Josh Lowe later single to right to make it an eleven-run margin before Madris capped the scoring with a two-run double to right.

Brujan (4-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB) was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after posting his game-high four knocks, with Madris (2-4, 2 2B, 4 RBI, BB), Raley (2-4, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI, BB), Pinto (2-5, R, 2 RBI) and Gray (2-4, R, 3B, RBI, BB) adding mutli-hit efforts as well.

Durham reliever Calvin Faucher (2.0 IP, 5 SO) earned the victory, striking out five of the six batters he faced in support of starter Cooper Criswell (3.0 IP, 4 H, BB, 3 SO), while Angel Perdomo (2.0 IP, H, 3 SO) and Jimmy Yacabonis (2.0 IP, 3 H, SO) finished off the shutout. Sounds starter Caleb Boushley (2.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, SO) suffered the defeat.

The Bulls will now face the Reno Aces on Sunday, October 2 in a one-game playoff for the Triple-A National Championship title, with first pitch set for 7:05pm ET. Starting pitchers for both teams have not yet been determined.

Durham begins their 2023 season at home on Friday, March 31 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park to start a three-game set versus Norfolk. Season ticket packages, including 919 Club Memberships and Mini Plans are now available, and can be purchased by contacting the Durham Bulls Ticket Department at 919-956-BULL.