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Arkansas Travelers

Travs Take Opener from Springfield

August 27, 2013 - Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release


North Little Rock, AR-- Tuesday night at Dickey-Stephens Park the Arkansas Travelers erased a three-run first inning deficit by scoring seven straight runs as they beat the Springfield Cardinals, 8-4. Cyle Hankerd led the Travs with three hits, and scored three runs, while Brandon Hynick pitched five innings to pick up his eleventh win. Arkansas remains two games ahead of Northwest Arkansas for first place in the Texas League North Division.

Springfield jumped ahead of Arkansas after Hynick allowed a two-out walk to Ruben Gotay. That brought up Xavier Scruggs, and Scruggs opened the scoring by hitting a two-run homer over the four foot wall in right center. The home run for Scruggs was his 26th of the season, and sixth against Arkansas.

Stephen Piscotty followed Scruggs' effort with a home run that landed in the basket in left center. The back-to-back blasts pushed the Springfield lead to 3-0.

Springfield LH Tim Cooney looked sharp early against the Travs, and retired eight of nine to start the game, but a two-out double by Randal Grichuk in the third presented a run scoring opportunity for Taylor Lindsey. Lindsey, who was named a Texas League All-Star along with Hynick earlier on Tuesday, capitalized by slashing a single into right field to score Grichuk, and cut the deficit to two.

The Travs got to work again with two outs in the fourth inning. Hankerd had started the inning with a double, but Cooney struck out C.J. Cron, and got Robbie Widlansky to ground out to first. With Hankerd at third and two outs, Jimmy Swift hit a grounder past the pitchers mound, and beat out the throw by second baseman Colin Walsh. Hankerd came in from third, and suddenly the Travs were down by only one.

Arkansas continued to pressure Cooney in the fourth inning, as Kaleb Cowart singled up the middle to put runners on first and third. Cooney proceeded to try and pick off Cowart from first while facing Travis Witherspoon, but balked in the tying run.

The balk also advanced Cowart to second, and Witherspoon delivered the Travs their fourth hit of the frame by singling to score Cowart. The hit gave the Travs their first lead, 4-3.

Arkansas broke the game open in the fifth inning with Cooney still in the game. Grichuk and Lindsey singled, and Hankerd walked to load the bases for Cron. Cron, who has one grand slam to his credit this season, hit a soft ground ball down the first base line. The only play for Springfield was at first base, which allowed for Grichuk to score. Still with two runners in scoring position and one out, Widlansky followed with a liner back up the middle to plate both runners, and the lead was now 7-3.

Springfield got a run back in the top of the seventh inning when Walsh hit a solo homer to right that snapped Ryan Chaffee's scoreless streak at 14 innings. However, the Travs quickly canceled the Springfield run out when singles by Hankerd, Cron, and Swift again loaded the bases with one out. Cowart hit a sharp ground ball to first where Xavier Scruggs elected to take the out at the bag, which allowed for Hankerd to score his third run of the game.

David Carpenter protected the 8-4 lead by pitching a one-two-three eighth inning, and Nick Maronde worked a scoreless ninth inning to help the Travs take the opener, 8-4.

Tim Cooney took the loss for Springfield and fell to 7-9.

All nine Travs that batted in Tuesday's game recorded at least one hit, and for the second straight night the Travs recorded double digit hits.

Arkansas and Springfield continue their series at Dickey-Stephens Park on Wednesday night at 7:10 p.m. LH Michael Roth pitches for the Travs against RH Zach Petrick for Springfield. Coverage of the game begins at 6:45 p.m. with the Travs Dugout Show on Sports Animal 920.

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