With better pitching and a more veteran-laden lineup, the Buffalo Bisons aren’t nearly the mess they were in April. In particular, they’re causing trouble outside the International League’s North Division.

Starting tonight, they’d like to start getting better inside it.

Brandon Knight tossed a six-hitter and the suddenly hot-hitting Herd got 12 more hits in an 8-1 thumping of the Durham Bulls on Sunday in Coca-Cola Field. Box score

A sun-splashed crowd of 6,859 saw the Bisons wrap up their first home series victory of the season, taking three of four games from the Bulls. It sent the Herd off on a high note for its five-game, two-city series against Syracuse that begins with a doubleheader today in Alliance Bank Stadium (5 p. m., TWC13, Radio 1520 AM).

The Bisons are 15-16 outside of the North Division—but just 5-24 inside it. That includes an 0-7 whitewash against Syracuse, all games played in April.

The box scores from the Bulls’ annual visit showed this was easily Buffalo’s best four-game set of the year.

The Bisons batted .316 and averaged six runs per contest since embattled hitting coach Luis Natera was demoted to Double-A Binghamton on Wednesday by the New York Mets and replaced by Bill Masse. The team ERA in the four games was 1.98; the starters were at 1.75.

“When we get our good pitching and our bats even come half-alive, we have a chance to win,” said manager Ken Oberkfell. “And that’s what you saw today.”

The epitaph of the Bisons’ season, of course, has probably been written by the team’s historically bad 2-17 start. Since then, however, Buffalo is 18-23 overall and 6-6 in June.

“We’ve always tried to stay positive,” said catcher Robinson Cancel, who had three hits and scored twice. “We struggled so much early but we’re trying to come back. We think we can be a good team. Things weren’t happening the way we want and hopefully this is a turnaround.”

Until Sunday, Buffalo’s only other series victory had been at Norfolk, winning two of three. Buffalo finished 8-7 against the Tides and Bulls, who are in a virtual tie with Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre for the best record in the IL.

“Syracuse has handled us pretty well but it was all early in the year and this is a different ballclub we’re running out there,” Oberkfell said. “Hopefully the bats will continue doing what they do.”

Using a heavy sinker, Knight (4-5) coasted after a five-run second. He struck out seven, walked nine and needed 109 pitches to go the route. It was a nice bounceback after Knight allowed four home runs Tuesday against Indianapolis.

Cancel made the game’s key play, going first-to-home on Luis Rivera’s single to short right in the second. Initially heading to third to draw a cutoff that would allow Mike Lamb to score the inning’s second run, Cancel stopped when pitcher Wade Davis intercepted the throw from right field.

Davis tried to nail Cancel at third but Ray Olmedo flubbed the catch and the ball rolled away. Cancel, who would have been toast at third, sprinted home and alertly slid around Craig Albernaz’s tag.

“I just saw the guy drop the ball and I was trying to be aggressive,” Cancel said. “It’s hard to stop, start, go ahead but I thought I had a good chance to score. I saw him miss the ball at third and I just kept going.”