Herald-Sun Correspondent
DURHAM -- It took 14 innings and more than five hours, but the Durham Bulls re-took the International League South Division lead from the Gwinnett Braves on Saturday night, winning 10-9 in walk-off fashion.
Jon Weber hit a three-run double in the bottom of the 14th driving in Reid Brignac, Ray Olmedo and Michel Hernandez for the victory.
Just a few frames earlier, it looked like the Bulls' late rally was going to fall short.
With two out and one on the bottom of the ninth, shortstop Brignac battled Braves reliever Luis Valdez for eight pitches with no results.
It was the ninth pitch, however, that the nearly 11,000 in attendance will remember.
Brignac pulled the ball to deep right field, where the Braves' Brian Barton drifted and drifted, eventually watching the ball fall just feet over the wall to tie the game.
Through five innings of play the Braves had a sizeable 6-1 lead. Both the Bulls and Gwinnett had put five hits on the scoreboard. Extra-base hits were also close, as the Braves had three to the Bulls' two. The reason for the five-run Gwinnett advantage was simple -- walks.
In the fourth and fifth innings, Durham reliever Julio DePaula walked three Braves. They all scored, as did two more Gwinnett batters.
But it wasn't just walks given by Durham pitchers that ended up leading to runs scored. Every player that reached first via bases on balls Saturday night reached home safely.
Both the Durham and Gwinnett bull pens saw lots of action, as 14 different hurlers toed the mound.
For the Bulls, it was even more of a workout. The game's intended starter Andy Sonnanstine was a late scratch, and reliever Joe Bateman started the game.
Bateman pitched well for three innings, giving up one run on one hit and a walk with three strikeouts.
With September call-ups looming and Childers and Jon Weber leaving the club to train with USA Baseball on Sept. 1, the Bulls roster soon will have a different look to it.
Game 2 of the four-game set begins today at 5:05 p.m. at Durham Bulls Athletic Park with the Bulls hoping to extend their lead in the IL South.
