The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders concluded their first home set of the year Sunday afternoon at PNC Field, falling to the Durham Bulls 4-3 to split the series.
Durham jumped to an early lead on RailRiders starter Dom Hamel in the top of the first. Raynel Delgado doubled, reached third on a groundout and crossed home on a balk for a 1-0 advantage. The Bulls took a 2-0 edge in the fourth after Carson Williams reached on a leadoff error, scoring later in the inning from a Logan Davidson RBI single.
In the fifth, Carlos Colmenarez hit his first home run of the season to extend Durham’s lead to three.
After four hitless innings, Yanquiel Fernández roped the first RailRiders hit against Bulls’ starter K.C. Hunt to open the home half of the frame. With two outs, Ali Sánchez brought Scranton/Wilkes-Barre within one, launching a two-run homer for his third blast of the year.
RailRiders pitcher Zach Messinger tossed a clean sixth and seventh, keeping the game a one-run contest until the eighth when Victor Mesa Jr. lifted a solo shot to give Durham a 4-2 lead.
Yankees No. 6 prospect Spencer Jones pulled SWB within one with a sacrifice fly in the ninth, but the RailRiders could not complete the comeback, leaving the tying run on third.
Hamel (L, 0-2) threw five innings, allowing three runs, two earned, and four hits while striking out six in the loss. Hunt (W, 1-2) allowed two runs on two hits in five frames of work to earn the victory. Cam Hill (S, 1) recorded the save.
The RailRiders now travel to Syracuse to face the Mets. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre returns to PNC Field on April 21 for a series against the Rochester Red Wings.