Drillers Drop Season Finale in Wichita
September 15, 2024 - Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Wichita, KS - The 2024 season concluded on Sunday afternoon for the Tulsa Drillers with a 4-2 loss to the Wichita Wind Surge at Wichita's Riverfront Stadium. The Wind Surge never trailed in the game, scoring three runs before Tulsa recorded the first of its two runs in the seventh inning.
The game was controlled by starting pitchers Orlando Ortiz-Mayr and C.J. Culpepper through the first four innings. Both hurlers kept the game scoreless and held each side to only three hits in the early innings.
The Wind Surge broke through to score the game's first run in the fifth inning. Ben Ross earned a two-out single, and after he stole second base, Walker Jenkins doubled him home to give Wichita a 1-0 lead.
Wichita doubled its lead on Alex Isola's solo home run in the sixth inning. In the same inning, Dalton Shuffield drove in another run with a single that put the Wind Surge in front 3-0.
Wichita pitchers held the Drillers to four hits through the first six innings. Tulsa's fifth hit gave the Drillers their first run of the afternoon on Brendon Davis' solo home run.
Isola singled and drove in another run for Wichita in the seventh inning to take a 4-1 lead.
The Drillers worked a final run across in the eighth inning when pitcher Taylor Floyd threw a wild pitch, which allowed Griffin Lockwood-Powell to score from third base.
INSIDE THE GAME
*Tulsa finished the second half with a 29-39 record and an overall record of 63-74.
*The Drillers finished 4-2 in the six-game series against Wichita.
The Drillers finished with a .231 team batting average for the season. The average set a new franchise low in the 47 seasons of Drillers baseball. The average is also the lowest in Tulsa pro baseball history since 1907.
*Tulsa's offense also set a new franchise record for strikeouts in a season with 1,334. That mark topped the club's previous record of 1,288 in 2019.
*Ortiz-Mayr was charged with the loss after pitching six innings. He finished the season with a 7-8 record and a 4.71 ERA.
*Davis' home run was his ninth of the season.
*Garrett McDaniels and Michael Martinez each pitched an inning following Ortiz-Mayr with an unearned run being charged to McDaniels. The duo finished with a 0.00 ERA in their two appearances with the Drillers.
*The Drillers announced one final roster move before the Sunday finale as pitcher Aiden Foeller was added from Rancho Cucamonga.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers are scheduled to open the 2025 season at ONEOK Field on Friday, April 4 in a three-game series against Northwest Arkansas. Memberships for the 2025 season are on sale now at TulsaDrillers.com or by calling 918-744-5901.
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Texas League Stories from September 15, 2024
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