TL1 Arkansas Travelers

Cron's Double Helps Travs Top Cards

Published on June 22, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release


Springfield, Mo.-- Saturday night at Hammons Field the Arkansas Travelers hung on to defeat the Springfield Cardinals, 5-4. Arkansas plated two runs with two outs in the seventh inning on a double by C.J. Cron to take the lead for good. Arkansas aims for the series win against Springfield tomorrow with Manny Correa on the mound.

Arkansas capitalized on command issues by Springfield RH Seth Blair in the first inning. With Taylor Lindsey at first and two outs, Blair hit C.J. Cron with a pitch, and then walked Kaleb Cowart on four pitches. That loaded the bases for Drew Heid. After a long battle bat between Heid and Blair, it was Heid who outlasted Blair by singling on the ninth pitch of the at bat. Lindsey and Cron scored on the play to give the Travs an early 2-0 lead.

Springfield also loaded the bases with two outs in their half of the first inning against Arkansas LH Michael Roth. James Ramsey reached on a fielding error to open the inning, Ruben Gotay singled with one out, and Xavier Scruggs walked with two outs. However, Roth avoided any further trouble by forcing Stephen Piscotty bounce into an inning ending fielder's choice.

Arkansas held the 2-0 lead until the bottom of the third inning. Jake Lemmerman led off with a single, and two batters later Chris Swauger lifted a fly ball over the wall in left field for a two-run homer to tie the game. The home run for Swauger marked the 13th of his career against the Travs. Roth proceeded to walk Scruggs for the second time, but retired the next two batters to keep the game tied at two.

Arkansas appeared poised to answer Springfield in the top of the fourth inning. Cowart led off with a single, but was caught stealing second for the first out. Drew Heid followed the caught stealing by tripling to left field with still only one out, but Blair retired Jimmy Swift with a foul out, and then struck out Carlos Ramirez to end the rally.

The game remained tied as the Travs came to the plate in the sixth inning. After Blair retired Cron to start the inning on a ground out, Cowart broke the tie by hammering his second home run of the series. Blair left the game two batters later after he walked Heid and struck out Swift. Justin Wright took over on the mound, and stranded the inherited runner at first by retiring Carlos Ramirez on a ground ball to shortstop.

Michael Roth returned to pitch the bottom of the sixth for the Travs in search of a shutdown inning. Roth opened the inning having retired seven straight batters dating back to the end of the third inning. The former South Carolina Gamecock retired Scruggs on a bouncer to shortstop to open the inning, but then walked Piscotty, and hit Cody Stanley with a pitch. That put runners at first and second with still only one out. Roth struck out Luis Mateo for the second out, and then faced ninth place hitter Audry Perez. Perez, who had just one hit in his previous 23 at bats, ripped a double into the right-center field gap to bring home both runs. It was the only hit Roth surrendered in the sixth, and the Cards took their first lead of the night, 4-3.

In the seventh inning it looked like the Travs were going to miss a terrific opportunity to not only tie the game, but also take the lead. Wright walked Rolando Gomez and Randal Grichuk to begin the inning. Taylor Lindsey came up and attempted to sacrifice bunt, but was called out on strikes when he failed to get the bunt into fair territory with two strikes. Springfield manager Mike Shildt then removed Wright and called on Kevin Thomas from the bullpen. Thomas retired Luis Montanez for the second out on a fly out to center, but then C.J. Cron came through for the Travs by doubling down the left field line. Gomez scored, and Grichuk, who was moving on contact with two outs, also scored to give the Travs back the lead, 5-4.

Roth was faced with protecting a one run Traveler lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. Roth had not recorded an out in the seventh inning all season as a starting pitcher entering Saturday, but quickly forced Lemmerman to line out to third, and then induced a fly out to center by Ruben Gotay. Roth then faced Swauger with the bases empty, but hit hit Swauger. It was the second batter Roth hit in the game, and also was the last pitch he threw. Arkansas called on RH Ryan Chaffee to help the Travs maintain their 5-4 lead. Chaffee entered immediately walked Scruggs to put two runners on base, but quickly recovered by getting Piscotty to ground out to Swift at shortstop to close the inning.

Michael Cisco relieved Chaffee at the start of the eighth inning, and allowed back-to-back singles with one out to Mateo and Perez. Cisco recovered and against the top of the Springfield order forced consecutive fly outs to Drew Heid to get out of the inning with the Travs still ahead, 5-4.

After the Travs failed to extend their lead in the top of the ninth, David Carpenter entered to try and earn his first save of the season with the Travs. Carpenter quickly retired Gotay and Swauger on ground outs for the first two outs, but then allowed a single to Scruggs that forced the game to continue. After Springfield inserted Adam Melker as a pinch-runner at first, Carpenter forced Piscotty to ground out to the pitchers mound to end the game.

Springfield stranded eleven runners on base in the game.

Michael Roth (2-2) earned the win, which was his first since his Double-A debut on April 9th against Midland. Wright was saddled with the loss and is now 0-1.

Cowart and Heid each had two hits in the victory.

Arkansas and Springfield conclude their series tomorrow at 2:09 p.m. The game is also the final for the Travs prior to the two-day All-Star break. In the contest, Arkansas sends RH Manny Correa to the mound. Coverage of the game begins with the Travs Dugout Show at 1:45 p.m. on Sports Animal 920.

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