TL1 Arkansas Travelers

Hellweg Out-Dueled by Hynick as Travs Are Shutout, 1-0

Published on July 15, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release


NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - After a five hour and forty-four minute, 17-inning game a night ago at Dickey-Stephens Park, the Arkansas Travelers and Tulsa Drillers played a regulation, nine-inning game on Sunday evening at a relative feverish pace as they finished the 1-0 Drillers' victory in just two hours and twelve minutes.

Downright dominant starting pitching performances by the Travs' Johnny Hellweg and the Drillers' Brandon Hynick contributed to the swiftness of the game. Both starters would work into the eighth inning, and each only surrendered a hit leading into the eighth.

Hellweg surrendered the games' first hit on a second inning leadoff single by Ben Paulsen. The hit would not affect Hellweg's start at all as he got consecutive strikeouts and a caught stealing of Paulsen to end the inning. That one hit would be the only trouble Hellweg would face for much of his start as he retired the next 15 batters in order to keep his one-hitter going through seven innings.

In the eighth inning, however, Paulsen lead off and struck for his and the Drillers' second hit of the game when he doubled to left field. Jimmy Cesario would follow with a single, and Paulsen was aggressive on the base paths as he raced into third on the play. With runners on the corners and no one out, Hellweg avoided giving up a run as he fielded a Corey Dickerson grounder and caught Paulsen too far off the bag at third for the first out of the inning. Hellweg could not, however, keep the Drillers off the board in the ensuing at-bat as Tim Torres collected a RBI single to put the Drillers up 1-0. Hellweg would eventually get out the eighth with only the one-run deficit.

Unfortunately for Hellweg, the one run given up would be the difference as the Travs' offense was still marred in a significant scoring slump. The last time the Travs platted a run was in the bottom of the seventh inning of Saturday night's game. By the time the Drillers broke Sunday's scoreless tie, the Travs had been held off the scoreboard in their last 17 innings.

The Travs did, however, threaten to knot the game in both the eighth and ninth innings as the leadoff man reached in each inning. In the eighth, Angel Castillo beat out a bunt single and worked himself into scoring position with two outs, but Castillo would be stranded. In the ninth, Roberto Lopez drew a leadoff walk. Following a swinging strikeout of Brian Hernandez, Ryan Mount singled through the left side of the infield to move Lopez to second base and also to put the winning run on base in the form of himself. The Drillers' closer, Josh Sullivan, who came on to record the final out in the eighth inning, then shut the door with consecutive strikeouts.

The tough-luck loss goes to Hellweg, who falls to 4-9 on the season. Hynick comes away with win and improves to 2-0. The save goes to Sullivan, his 11th.

A four-game road trip to Northwest Arkansas is up next for the Travs with the first game scheduled for a 7:00 pm start on Monday, July 16th. Following the quick road trip, the Travs will be back at Dickey-Stephens for another four-game set with the Drillers starting on Friday, July 20th.

Check out the Arkansas Travelers Statistics

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Texas League Stories from July 15, 2012


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