Drillers Bounce Back Behind Ferris
TL Tulsa Drillers

Drillers Bounce Back Behind Ferris

July 30, 2025 - Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release


Tulsa Drillers pitcher Jackson Ferris
Tulsa Drillers pitcher Jackson Ferris
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Conor Lacefield)

Midland, TX - After a rough outing in Tuesday's series opener in Midland, the Tulsa pitching staff bounced back on Wednesday night behind another strong outing from Jackson Ferris. Ferris worked 5.2 scoreless innings and took advantage of some early offensive support and another scoreless ninth inning from Antonio Knowles to help the Drillers defeat the RockHounds 5-2 at Momentum Bank Ballpark.

It was a return to recent form for Tulsa pitchers. Last week, the staff allowed just 12 runs and compiled a 1.80 ERA over six games in a series win over first-place Springfield at ONEOK Field. But in Tuesday's series opener, five Drillers pitchers combined to walk 12 batters in an ugly loss to the RockHounds.

Ferris got things back in order on Tuesday. He did allow five hits and four walks, but kept the Hounds scoreless for 5.2 innings, continuing a strong run by the lefthander.

Ferris had a lead before he ever threw a pitch as the Drillers scored every other inning through the first five frames to take an initial 5-0 lead. The scoring started in the top of the first when Kole Myers and Taylor Young opened the game with consecutive singles. Myers scored the game's first run on a ground out from Chris Newell.

The Drillers increased their lead to three runs in the third inning when Sean McLain and Myers led off with back-to-back hits. McLain scored when Taylor Young grounded into a force out. Young stole second base and scored on Newell's double.

The same trio started Tulsa's two-run fifth inning. McLain led off with a base hit and Myers and Young drew walks to load the bases. After Yeiner Fernandez plated McLain with a sacrifice fly, Young and Myers executed a double steal, with Myers swiping home, to make the lead 5-0.

With two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the sixth, Ferris hit Clark Elliott with his 100th pitch of the game. It ended his night as Jerming Rosario was summoned from the Tulsa bullpen. Rosario allowed a hit before getting a strikeout that ended the inning.

Rosario ran into trouble in the seventh though. Following a leadoff double and a hit batter, he got another strikeout before walking the bases loaded. Robinson Ortiz came on and gave up a two-run double that ended the shutout. Following the hit,, Ortiz got a fly out and strikeout to end the threat with Tulsa still leading, 5-2.

Ortiz followed with a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

Closer Knowles took care of the ninth. He did have to pitch around a one-out walk, but finished it off for his league-leading eleventh save.

INSIDE THE GAME

*Ferris has been outstanding over his last seven starts, dating to June 21. He has allowed just five earned runs over 39.0 innings in that stretch for a 1.15 ERA with 20 walks and 41 strikeouts. Wednesday's win improved his season record to 7-5.

*Knowles has been almost perfect over the last couple of months. Since June 8, he has allowed just one run, recording a 0.51 ERA over 17 2/3 innings pitched. He has 3 wins and 7 saves over his last 11 appearances.

*Rosario was charged with the two runs in the seventh inning. It marked the first runs he has allowed in his last seven games and in his last 9 1/3 innings.

*McLain and Myers accounted for half of the Drillers eight hits, getting two each. Myers had two steals, including his steal of home.

*Young had three steals in the game and now has 28 on the season. He joins Myers and Newell with three-steal games this season.

*Ortiz worked 1.2 scoreless innings and has now been scored upon in just 2 of his 12 games with Tulsa.

UP NEXT

The Drillers and RockHounds will close out the month of July with game three of their six-game series on Thursday night at Momentum Bank Ballpark. First pitch moves back 30 minutes to 7:00 p.m. and the starting pitchers are scheduled to be:

Tulsa - LHP Luke Fox (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Midland - RHP Yunior Tur (2-3, 2.43 ERA)

Check out the Tulsa Drillers Statistics




Images from this story

Tulsa Drillers pitcher Jackson Ferris
Tulsa Drillers pitcher Jackson Ferris
(Conor Lacefield)		   



Texas League Stories from July 30, 2025


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