TL1 Springfield Cardinals

Drillers Close First Half with 4-3 Win

Published on June 23, 2015 under Texas League (TL1)
Springfield Cardinals News Release


Springfield, MO - The Tulsa Drillers closed out the First Half of the 2015 season by edging the Springfield Cardinals, 4-3, before 3,425 fans at Hammons Field on Monday night. The Second Half of the season begins at Hammons Field on Tuesday at 7:10pm.

After Springfield LHP Kyle Hald and Tulsa RHP Jose De Leon (W, 2-2) each logged a scoreless first, De Leon helped his own cause in the top of the second. With one down, LF Jeremy Rathjen reached base on a single to left field. After Rathjen moved to second on a groundout, De Leon sliced an RBI single to right field to bring in Rathjen and lift the Drillers (30-39) in front, 1-0.

Hald got back on track with a scoreless top of the third, before playing a role in the Cardinals (30-40) comeback in the bottom of the third. C Alberto Rosario sparked the rally with a leadoff double. Hald then attempted a sacrifice bunt, but C Ali Solis fired the ball to third and retired Rosario on a fielder's choice. One out later, with Hald at first base, LF Mike O'Neill pulled an RBI double inside the right field line, scoring Hald all the way from first to tie the game, 1-1.

The Drillers, though, retook the lead right away in the top of the fourth inning. CF Adam Law started the stanza with a single, before a fly out to right field for the first out. C Ali Solis singled Law around to third, before Law raced home on a successful RBI sacrifice squeeze bunt by De Leon, lifting the Drillers into the 2-1 lead.

The Cardinals evened it right back out in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one down, 3B Patrick Wisdom, the Texas League Player of the Week, singled himself aboard. SS Breyvic Valera followed with a free pass, before both runners moved up on a wild pitch from De Leon. With men at second and third, Rosario placed an RBI groundout to second base that brought in Wisdom to even it at 2-2.

A sacrifice fly from 3B Jarek Cunningham in the top of the fifth propelled the Drillers back in front by one, before the Cardinals tied it once again in the bottom of the fifth. All-Star CF Charlie Tilson led off with a double, motoring quickly to third base on a sacrifice bunt from O'Neill. All-Star RF Jeremy Hazelbaker then slugged an RBI ground-rule double to right-center field, bringing in Tilson for the 3-3 tie.

Hald finished his outing with a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, before giving way to RHP Joey Donofrio (L, 2-3) in the top of the seventh. Donofrio induced a pair of groundouts to start the stanza, but then Tulsa rallied with two outs. Drake extended the inning initially with a double, before coming home on an RBI single by 1B Shawn Zarraga to lift the Drillers into the 4-3 lead.

Donofrio kept it just a one-run deficit with a scoreless eighth, followed by a scoreless ninth from All-Star RHP Chris Thomas. However, the Drillers also received late scoreless relief with RHP Jeremy Horst (S, 6) stranding a pair of runners in the bottom of the ninth to close the 4-3 win for Tulsa.

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Texas League Stories from June 23, 2015


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