Seven Home Runs Help Drillers Win Third Straight
July 19, 2011 - Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
One could have easily seen how hard it would have been for the Tulsa Drillers and Springfield Cardinals to top the slugfest each team had Monday night. Well, on Tuesday night both teams combined for twenty-eight runs, thirty-three hits, and eight home runs each topping the previous night's total. Thomas Field and Ben Paulsen combined to go nine for eleven with six RBI's and two homeruns. The Drillers used the long ball early and often in the ballgame to build both a lead and mount a comeback, as seven different Drillers homered in a winning effort over the Cardinals 17-11 Tuesday night.
After an impressive offensive display on Monday night the Drillers followed it up quickly in the first inning, Tuesday. With two outs, and Thomas Field at first base by way of a hit-by-pitch, Wilin Rosario punished a Michael Blazek offering over the left field wall for his sixteenth homerun of the year.
The homer not only gave the Drillers a 2-0 lead, but also at the time gave Rosario nine hits in his last eleven at bats on the season and fourth in his last four games.
The home run tear continued for the Drillers in the top of the second. Hitting a homeruns in each of his last two games, Brian Rike added a third game to the list in his first at bat of the night. Leading off the inning Rike roped a fastball over the right field wall for his fifth of the year, increasing the lead to 3-0.
Erik Wetzel and Drillers starter Dan Houston were both able to reach with a single and walk respectfully, after the Rike homer in the second, giving the Drillers runners on first and second with one out and Tommy Field due up. Field then singled in his forty-fifth RBI of the year scoring Wetzel from second on the ground ball to left, putting the Drillers on top 4-0.
After being held scoreless in the third, the Drillers doubled up the score on the Cardinals in the fourth. Ben Paulsen collected his first and second RBI's of the night on a line drive to right field, scoring Field and Houston whom both singled earlier in the inning.
The inning continued with Paulsen on second and two out Bronson Sardinha hit his fifth home run of the year, as the ball bounced out of the glove of the centerfielder when he collided with the wall. Sardinha's homer gave the Drillers a commanding 8-0 lead after the top of the fourth.
In the bottom of the fourth the Cardinals were able to touch up Houston for three runs, fortunately the Drillers were able to get one back in the fifth.
Paulsen collected his second double of the night in the fifth, scoring Wheeler from second and advancing Field to third, who had previously reached on his second single of the game. Paulsen's third RBI of the night gave the Drillers a 9-3 lead going into the home half of the fifth.
Down six runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Cardinals cut the Drillers lead to four with some help from Drillers. Field committed his eleventh error of the year allowing Nick Greenwood to reach base to lead off the inning that was followed by Shane Robinson's first homerun of the year pulling the Cardinals back within four at 9-5.
Thanks to a throwing error, wild pitch, three walks, and four hits in the seventh, the Cardinals were able to bat around in the inning and storm back erasing once an 8-0 deficit by taking an 11-9 lead after seven.
Going into the eighth it could have been easy for the Drillers to succumb to the Cardinals comeback and finish without a thought at finishing strong.
However a sacrifice fly by Erik Wetzel and RBI single by pinch-hitter James Cesario tied the Cardinals and Drillers at 11-11. With Cesario at second, Tim Wheeler erased the memory of four earlier strikeouts to hit his twenty eighth home run of the year, giving the Drillers a 13-11 lead.
The home runs continued in the inning, as Field and Paulsen followed Wheeler's homerun with solo blasts of their own. At the end of the eighth the Drillers lead was 15-11, as the team matched the six runs the Cardinals scored in the bottom of the seventh with six of their own in the top of the eighth.
In the ninth Hector Gomez joined the homerun parade in the ninth. A Sardinha double was followed the Gomez blast giving the Drillers a 17-11 lead.
The Drillers and Cardinals will be playing the third game of the series Wednesday night at Hammons Field in Springfield as first pitch is scheduled for 7:05PM. The Cardinals will be sending Shelby Miller (5-1, 2.08) to the mound, with the Drillers giving the ball to Cory Riordan (1-8, 5.55).
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Texas League Stories from July 19, 2011
- Roughriders Hold Missions Offense In Check During 6-1 Win - San Antonio Missions
- Missions Fall To Roughriders 6-1 - San Antonio Missions
- Cardinals Fall to Drillers 17-11 - Springfield Cardinals
- Seven Home Runs Help Drillers Win Third Straight - Tulsa Drillers
- Wieland, Roughriders Shut Down San Antonio - Frisco RoughRiders
- Travs No-Hit, Ground into Triple Play in Loss - Arkansas Travelers
- Naturals No-Hit the Travelers - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Game Notes, July 19 - Midland at Corpus Christi - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Kraft Singles 2-For-1 Tickets Tonight - Arkansas Travelers
- Jeremy Jeffress Joins Naturals' Roster - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Spurs Caravan August 5 at Whataburger Field - Corpus Christi Hooks
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