TL1 Tulsa Drillers

Drillers Drop Travelers 7-4

Published on July 18, 2010 under Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release


The Tulsa Drillers rebounded from their worst loss of the season to post a 7-4 victory over the Arkansas Travelers Saturday night at ONEOK Field. Tulsa received a strong pitching performance from starter Brandon Durden and Jason Van Kooten belted a home run and plated three runners in the Drillers ninth win in their last eleven games.

Durden allowed three runs, two earned, off five hits in six innings of work to record the victory. The win snapped his three-game losing streak and improved his overall record to 4-6.

The Drillers took advantage of a Travelers error to take a quick lead in the bottom of the first inning. Eric Young Jr. slapped a single into left field to lead off the inning, and Anthony Jackson followed with a well placed bunt down the first base line that was fielded by Arkansas starting pitcher Trevor Reckling. Reckling then threw to first to try to get Jackson, but his throw was wild. The error allowed the speedy Young to score all the way from first base and Jackson to advance to third. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Kiel Roling plated Jackson and gave the Drillers a 2-0 lead.

Arkansas served the Drillers a taste of their own medicine in the top of the fourth and scored a run courtesy of a Tulsa error. With Julio Perez at second and Roberto Lopez at first, Anel De Los Santos singled to leftfielder Jackson who threw a bullet home to catcher Wilin Rosario just seconds before Rosario and Perez collided at home plate. Rosario was not able to hold onto the ball after the impact as the ball popped out of his glove. The error by Rosario allowed the Travs to cut the Drillers lead to 2-1, but Rosario was able to recover and gunned down Lopez as he tried to advance to third for the final out of the inning.

The Travelers continued their sloppy play in the fourth and handed Tulsa a run courtesy of two errors on the same play. After Kiel Roling singled, Scott Beerer hit a grounder to third baseman Carlos Colmenares who threw to second to start an inning-ending double play, but his throw was offline and the ball rolled into right field for an error. Charlton Jimerson then scooped up the errant throw and tried to gun down Roling as he advanced to third, but his throw sailed high over Colmenares and landed in the stands. The Travs second error of the inning allowed Roling to walk home and Beerer to move to third. Beerer eventually came home on a base hit by Van Kooten that put the Drillers up 4-1.

Jackson's sacrifice fly in the fifth pushed the Tulsa lead to 5-1.

A two-run home run by Lopez in the top of the sixth cut the Drillers advantage to 5-3.

Jason Van Kooten quickly responded in the bottom of the inning with his tenth home run of the season to put the Drillers up 6-3.

Arkansas' Tyson Auer answered back as he blasted a solo home run in the seventh inning pulled the Travs closer at 6-4.

The Drillers added an insurance run in the eighth when Van Kooten drove in his third run of the game with his third base hit of the night.

Stu Pomeranz worked a perfect 1-2-3 ninth to close out the game and pick up his tenth save of the season.

The Drillers will conclude their series with the Travelers Sunday night. Christian Friedrich (2-5, 4.94 ERA) will start for Tulsa and will face-off against Arkansas' Michael Anton (4-6, 4.17 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05PM and kids are encouraged to wear their bathing suits as water misters and three water slides will be set up around ONEOK Field for the conclusion of the Drillers' "Beach Party Weekend".

Check out the Tulsa Drillers Statistics

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Texas League Stories from July 18, 2010


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