TL1 Springfield Cardinals

Cardinals Collect Series Win with 6-4 Victory in Arkansas

Published on June 28, 2015 under Texas League (TL1)
Springfield Cardinals News Release


North Little Rock, AR - The Springfield Cardinals wrapped up the series win with a 6-4 victory against the Arkansas Travelers before 8,445 fans at Dickey-Stephens Park on Sunday night. Springfield enters the All-Star Break on a three-game winning streak, taking the series, 3-games-to-1 in Arkansas.

The Cardinals (3-3, 33-43) came out of the gates swinging, jumping in front in the top of the first against RHP Chris Ellis. With two away and the bases clear, All-Star DH Michael Ohlman crushed a solo home run, his seventh blast of the year, over the left field fence, lifting Springfield in front, 1-0.

Springfield LHP Kyle Hald kept the narrow advantage intact through a scoreless bottom of the first, but the Travelers (3-3, 39-36) struck in the bottom of the second. With one on and two down, C Anthony Bemboom lined a two-run shot to right field, catapulting the Travelers into the 2-1 lead.

The Cardinals evened the score right away in the top of the third. With two down, Springfield worked four straight walks against Ellis. Ohlman, 1B Jonathan Rodriguez and All-Star LF Nick Martini worked the first three to load the bases, before an RBI walk by 3B Patrick Wisdom forced in the tying run to make it 2-2.

Springfield then swung back in front in the top of the fourth with another two-out run. After Ellis retired the first two of the inning, All-Star CF Charlie Tilson smashed a solo home run, his second homer in the last three games, to propel the Cardinals ahead, 3-2.

The Travelers worked it back even on the board in the bottom of the fifth. After SS Eric Stamets was hit by a pitch with one away, 2B Sherman Johnson bounced into a fielder's choice that retired Stamets and put Johnson on at first with two away. Johnson then moved to second on a balk called against Hald, before racing home on an RBI single by 3B Drew Maggi to square the score, 3-3.

Hald kept it tied with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth to close his quality start. LHP Iden Nazario (W, 1-3) then followed suit with a scoreless seventh to keep it even on the board.

Ohlman and the Cardinals swung out of the 3-3 tie in the top of the eighth against RHP Austin Wood (L, 5-2). Once again rallying with two away, All-Star RF Jeremy Hazelbaker kept the inning alive with a two-out infield single. Hazelbaker then motored to second base with his second steal of the game, his 16th of the season. With Hazelbaker in scoring position, Ohlman ripped a two-out RBI single through the middle, scoring Hazelbaker for the 4-3 lead.

The Cardinals stayed on the attack with a pair of important insurance runs in the top of the ninth. With two down and the bases empty, 2B Bruce Caldwell extended the stanza with a single. SS Breyvic Valera followed with a two-run homer, his first of the year and the fourth of his career, over the left field fence, stretching the lead to 6-3 for Springfield.

All-Star RHP Kyle Barraclough (S, 5) took over to slam the door in the bottom of the ninth. The Travelers, though, refused to make it easy, as DH Raywilly Gomez worked a leadoff walk to start the inning. Gomez was replaced by pinch-runner, OF Mike Fish, who advanced to second when LF D'Arby Myers was hit by a pitch. Bemboom then bounced into a fielder's choice that put runners at the corners with one down. With two on, SS Eric Stamets brought in Fish with an RBI groundout to second base, bringing the Travs within two runs with Johnson coming up. However, Barraclough buckled down and blew Johnson away, ending the game with a strikeout to close the 6-4 win for the Cardinals.

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Texas League Stories from June 28, 2015


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