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Durham Sets Highs in HR, Runs, Beat Pawsox

May 17, 2007

(Pawtucket, RI) Durham set season highs in homers and runs to back J.P. Howell and beat Pawtucket 11-3 on Thursday night.

Durham hit five homers, three off knuckleballer Charlie Zink to take a 9-3 lead after three. Wes Bankston hit a three-run blast in the first for a 3-0 lead. After Pawtucket scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the first, Durham added a run in the second on a Bankston single and then knocked out Zink in the third with five runs on homers by Elliott Johnson and Justin Ruggiano.

Howell only allowed one hit after the first inning, a Jeff Bailey solo homer, and struck out 10. Ruddy Lugo and Seth McClung followed with hitless ball over the last three innings.

Chris Richard and Raul Casanova added a pair of solo homers in the seventh for the final margin. Bankston, Richard and Casanova each had two of Durham's 11 hits.

The Bulls will look to split the series and the season set on Friday night with RHP Jeff Niemann against RHP Runelvys Hernandez.