Staff report

The Durham Bulls are champions -- again.

Five nights after claiming the International League championship, the Bulls earned a national title by edging the Memphis Redbirds 5-4 in the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.

Pinch runner Rashad Eldridge crossed the plate with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning when, after recent addition Michel Hernandez laced his first double of the season, a pair of Redbirds' pitchers uncorked wild pitches.

The Bulls, appearing on national television for the first time in their 107-year history, became the first IL team to win the title. The game, in its fourth year, features the champions of the nation's two Triple-A leagues, the IL and the Pacific Coast League.

Year-long Bulls infielder Ray Olmedo had a pair of doubles, scored a pair of runs and drew a pair of walks. Recent addition Sean Rodriguez blasted his first home run for Durham to lead off a three-run fourth that gave the Bulls a 4-0 lead, but Memphis forced extra innings with a three-run sixth and a single run in the seventh.

-- BRYAN STRICKLAND