Drillers Increase Playoff Hopes With Big Win Over Wichita
TL Tulsa Drillers

Drillers Increase Playoff Hopes With Big Win Over Wichita

Published on September 6, 2025 under Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release


Tulsa Drillers' Sean McLain and Zach Ehrhard on game night
Tulsa Drillers' Sean McLain and Zach Ehrhard on game night
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Lexi Ashcraft)

Wichita, KS - The Tulsa Drillers earned an important win on Saturday night that helped their chances to claim the final playoff spot from the Texas League's North Division. The Drillers picked up their third straight win with a 10-1 victory over Wichita that came from big offensive nights from James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard. Tulsa also got a strong outing from its pitching staff, who held the Wind Surge to just one run on three hits in the victory at Equity Bank Park.

The result gave the Drillers a three-game lead for the final playoff spot from the TL North Division with just seven games remaining in the regular season. The Drillers currently trail first-place Springfield by four games, with the Cardinals winning their 11th straight game on Saturday. The Redbirds won the first half title, and if they also win the second half, the second-place team in the second half will get the other playoff berth from the division.

In the Coors Light Propeller Series, Tulsa now leads 12-11, but per the competition rules, if the series is tied after the final game, the team that wins the final matchup will be declared the winner, making Sunday's series finale a winner-take-all game.

Tulsa's offense got off to another quick start on Saturday by scoring five runs in the first two innings. Tibbs III put the Drillers on the board in the first with a two-run homer to straightaway center field.

In the second, Tulsa had runners at second and third when a wild pitch allowed Yeiner Fernandez to score. After Fernandez scored, Wind Surge catcher Andrew Cossetti overthrew the return throw back to the pitcher, allowing Sean McLain to also score. Later in the inning, Tibbs III drove in Tulsa's fifth run of the game with a single.

Ehrhard added the Drillers sixth run with a solo homer in the fourth inning.

The offensive performance was backed by another strong start from Chris Campos, who began his outing with four hitless innings. Campos finished with only one run allowed, on Maddux Houghton's RBI single, over 5.1 innings pitched. He also struck out four and issued only two walks.

Chris Newell produced two more runs in the sixth with his double to left that scored Kole Myers and Tibbs III.

The final runs came in the seventh on Sean McLain's single to left and Ehrhard's sacrifice fly.

INSIDE THE GAME

*The Drillers used three pitchers in the win. Starter Campos picked up his eighth win and lowered his ERA to 4.33 on Saturday. His ERA is the ninth best in the Texas League. Kelvin Bautista followed Campos on the mound and recorded the final two outs in the sixth inning. Wyatt Crowell pitched the final three innings and held Wichita scoreless in the process. The performance earned Crowell his first professional save.

*Griffin Lockwood-Powell increased his on-base streak to 20 straight games with his walk in the fifth inning.

*Tibbs III had a perfect night at the plate as he earned three hits and drew two walks in his five plate appearances. He also drove in three runs and scored two. Tibbs III's first-inning home run was his fourth with the Drillers.

*Tulsa showed great discipline at the plate by drawing nine walks in the win. Taylor Young led the team with three walks to increase his season total to 76, the most in the Texas League.

*The Wind Surge announced a paid attendance of 10,253 at Equity Bank Park on Saturday. The attendance was the second largest since the franchise began playing in Wichita in 2021.

UP NEXT

The Drillers and Wind Surge will play the final game of their six-game series on Sunday afternoon at Equity Bank Park. The winner of the game will be awarded the Propeller Trophy and the Drillers will be trying to win their fourth consecutive Coors Light Propeller Series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are slated to be:

Tulsa - RHP Patrick Copen (1-5, 4.31 ERA)

Wichita - RHP Ryan Gallagher (4-1, 5.40 ERA)

Check out the Tulsa Drillers Statistics

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Images from this story

Tulsa Drillers' Sean McLain and Zach Ehrhard on game night
Tulsa Drillers' Sean McLain and Zach Ehrhard on game night
(Lexi Ashcraft)		   



Texas League Stories from September 6, 2025


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