TL1 Arkansas Travelers

Cards End Travs Streak at 8

Published on May 18, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release


North Little Rock, AR - Saturday night at Dickey-Stephens Park the Springfield Cardinals took the second game of a four game series with Arkansas, by shutting out the Travelers 7-0. Springfield pounded out twelve hits in the game and received six scoreless innings from LH Tim Cooney, as the Cards pulled within one half game of the Travs for first place in the Texas League North.

Springfield led 4-0 into the ninth inning when Xavier Scruggs broke the game wide open by hitting a three-run homer over the wall in left. Scruggs drove in five runs in the game and is now second in the Texas League in home runs (12) and RBI's (33).

Springfield jumped out to an early lead against Travs starting pitcher Lay Batista. Batista entered the game having thrown at least six innings in each of his last six starts, but on Saturday night he did not finish the fifth.

The Cards loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning and took a 1-0 lead on a single by Chris Swauger. However, Batista battled and recovered by striking out Scruggs and Jake Lemmerman, before forcing Adam Melker to ground out as he kept the Cards to only one run.

In the third inning Springfield again threatened when Ruben Gotay and Chris Swauger hit back-to-back one out singles. Scruggs followed with a single as well, as he picked up his first RBI of the night. Again, Batista bore down and kept the damage to only a run, when he forced Lemmerman into a twin killing on a grounder to second.

Batista worked a quick fourth but then faced the top of the Cards batting order in the fifth to start the frame. Again, the Cards loaded the bases with no outs to open the inning. Mike O'Neill, who finished 4-for-5 and a home run shy of the cycle, bounced a double down the line in right to lead off the inning. After James Ramsey walked and Ruben Gotay singled, Swauger batted with the bases jammed. Swauger ripped a liner towards right, but first baseman C.J. Cron snared it with a backhand catch for the first out. However, Batista exited after plunking Scruggs with the bases loaded just one batter later.

Elvin Ramirez entered and picked up the final two outs of the inning, but in the process walked Adam Melker to score Ramsey.

Ramirez pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief and recorded all four outs via strikeout. Ramirez gave way to Nick Maronde in the seventh inning. Maronde breezed through his first two innings of work and pitched into the ninth inning by recording outs on the first eight batters he faced. But, with two outs in the ninth inning Maronde yielded a walk to Gotay and a single to Swauger before Scruggs ripped his second homer of the series. The Scruggs blast made it 7-0.

Throughout the game the Travs struggled to apply any pressure offensively. Randal Grichuk had two hits and hit his third double of the series to lead the Travs. C.J. Cron chipped in with a double, but as a club the Travs went hitless in nine at bats with a runner in scoring position.

Tim Cooney earned his second win in as many starts for the Cards, as he struck out seven on the night.

Lay Batista was saddled with the loss and fell to 2-4.

Springfield's O'Neill, Gotay, Swauger and Scruggs combined to tally all twelve hits for the Cards. As a group, the four hitters finished the night 12-for-18 with three extra-base hits and six RBI.

The Travs and Cards play game three of the series on Sunday afternoon at 2:10 p.m. from Dickey-Stephens Park. LH Michael Roth (1-0, 0.00) will make his second start for the Travs and his first since April 9th against Midland. Roth will face Springfield RH Seth Blair (2-3, 7.06). Coverage begins with the Travs Dugout Show on Sports Animal 920 at 1:45 p.m.

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Texas League Stories from May 18, 2013


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