Albano & Conger Lead Travs To Victory
Published on August 1, 2009 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
TULSA, OKLAHOMA - The Arkansas Travelers pulled out their sixth win in nine games getting three RBI from Hank Conger and six scoreless innings from right hander Marco Albano (W, 2-5) in a 6-1 victory over the Tulsa Drillers on Saturday night at Drillers Stadium. Conger finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored added to his two RBI. Making just his third career start, Albano held Tulsa to three singles and a walk while striking out six. The Travs outscored the Drillers 18-5 in winning the first two games of this four game series.
With hits in five consecutive games, Conger is 8-for-17 during the streak. He also caught Tulsa's Danny Sandoval stealing second base in the third inning.
Albano, who made the switch from infielder to pitcher during the 2007 season, had the finest outing of his career in earning his first win as a starter. He retired the first four batters of the game, three on strikes. Albano also set down nine of the last ten Drillers he faced before handing the game to the bullpen.
David Herndon allowed Tulsa's only run on a homer by Ryan Harvey (15), his third in two nights. Herndon finished two innings with three strikeouts and Fernando Rodriguez finished the game with a perfect ninth inning.
After rallying for nine runs in the first inning on Friday, the Travs jumped out to another early lead on Saturday taking advantage of a pair of walks from Kurt Birkins (L, 0-1) Coby Smith and Nate Sutton drew consecutive one-out walks on nine pitches bringing up the middle of the order. Trumbo crossed up the defense and grounded a double past first base to score Smith then Conger knocked in Sutton from third base with a tapper on the right side of the infield.
Wil Ortiz and Jay Caligiuri opened the second inning with singles to place runners at first and third with no outs. All the Travs managed was one run when Ortiz scored on Hainley Statia's double play.
Ortiz came up again in the fourth inning with Conger at third base thanks to a leadoff double and a groundout by Chris Gutierrez. A successful suicide squeeze bunt on the 1-1 pitch by Birkins gave the Travs a 4-0 lead.
Statia led off the fifth inning with a hard grounder for an infield single then Birkins mishandled a sacrifice bunt allowing him to reach base. A hard single by Sutton loaded the bases with one out and sent Birkins to the showers. Left hander Matt Reynolds entered the game and allowed Conger's two-out, two-run single to centerfield placing the Travs on top 6-0.
Time of game was 2:30 and the paid attendance was 6,760.
The Travs will try for their third straight victory on Sunday evening sending right hander Tommy Mendoza (7-6, 3.36) to the hill against the Texas League leader in wins and ERA, Samuel Deduno (10-2, 2.36). First pitch will be thrown at 6:00 p.m.
Texas League Stories from August 1, 2009
- Albano & Conger Lead Travs To Victory - Arkansas Travelers
- Springfield edges Naturals Saturday - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cards Edge Naturals for Third Straight Win - Springfield Cardinals
- Drillers Drop 2nd Straight - Tulsa Drillers
- ONEOK Field Suites Available - Tulsa Drillers
- Missions add Inman, Demark; Herr transferred to Fort Wayne - San Antonio Missions
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