Drillers Season Ends with Loss to Cards
TL Tulsa Drillers

Drillers Season Ends with Loss to Cards

Published on September 19, 2025 under Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release


Elijah Hainline of the Tulsa Drillers
Elijah Hainline of the Tulsa Drillers
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Paige Grider)

Springfield, MO - The Tulsa Drillers 2025 season came to an end late Thursday night with a 3-0 loss in Springfield in game two of the Texas League's North Division playoff series. The game started 3 hours and 13 minutes late because of a rain delay, and it was shortened to just seven innings in length because of the long delay and late start.

The shutout victory gave the Cardinals a two-game sweep of the best-of-three division series.

Game two was very similar to the first game of the series. Springfield's pitching staff finished the regular season with the Texas League's best ERA, and the Drillers struggled to generate much offensively in either of the games.

In Thursday's matchup at Hammons Field, the Drillers had chances to score in each of the first two innings, but they came up empty.

In the top of the first, Kole Myers singled on the first pitch of the game, and Chris Newell drew a two-out walk. Yeiner Fernandez made a bid for the RBI hit with a soft liner to the left side of the infield, but Cards third baseman Ramon Mendoza made a sliding catch to end the inning.

In the second inning, Zyhir Hope led off and belted a drive into the right-center gap, but right fielder Miguel Ugueto robbed him of an extra-base hit with a sliding, backhanded grab just above the grass.

Ugueto's play became even more important when Taylor Young followed with a stand-up triple. With Young at third base and one out, Springfield starting pitcher Brycen Mautz escaped by striking out Sean McLain and Elijah Hainline to end the inning and keep the Drillers scoreless.

The Cardinals stranded runners in each of the first three innings against Tulsa starter Luke Fox before finally breaking through in the bottom of the fourth.

The game's key inning began with a one-out double by Zach Levenson. Levenson advanced to third on a base hit from Dakota Harris and scored the game's first run on an infield single from Ugueto.

A misplay from the Drillers helped the Cards scored their second run. Jeremy Rivas walked on a full-count ball four with the runners Harris and Ugueto running with the pitch. Tulsa catcher threw to third on the ball four and sailed his throw into left field, allowing Harris to race home with the second run.

Cam Day relieved Fox and retired the first batter he faced on a fielder's choice ground out but Ugueto scored the third run of the inning on the play.

Tulsa made a bid to end the shutout in the top of the fifth. With one out, Hainline was hit by a pitch from Mautz. Myers followed and split the left-center field gap with a liner that rolled to the fence. Hainline raced around third in an attempt to score on the double, but he was tagged out on his headfirst slide when the Cards perfectly executed the relay with shortstop Rivas providing the throw home.

With two outs, Myers advanced to third on a wild pitch before Zach Ehrhard flied out to end the inning.

It would prove to be the Drillers final chance. Luis Gastelum took over for Mautz and set the Drillers down in order in both the top of the sixth and seventh innings to close out the Cards victory.

INSIDE THE GAME

*The game officially began at 9:48 p.m. and ended just before midnight at 11:54 p.m.

*The Drillers finished the two games against the Cardinals 0-14 at the plate with runners in scoring position. They were 0-4 in Friday's loss and 0-10 in Wednesday's game one defeat.

*Tulsa was held to just 11 hits in the two defeats, including only 4 in Thursday's elimination.

*The two losses in the series came against a pair of tough lefthanders. Mautz is rated by MLB Pipeline as the #21 prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals system, and game one winner, Ixan Henderson, is rated as the #16 prospect.

*The Drillers used the same three relievers that they used in game one, and all three were effective. Day retired both batters he faced, and Christian Suarez worked a scoreless inning. Carson Hobbs struck out the side in a scoreless sixth inning

*Midland also wrapped up the South Division Series on Thursday night with a 3-1 win over Amarillo. The RockHounds and Cardinals will begin the Texas League Championship Series on Sunday afternoon at Hammons Field.

UP NEXT

The next time the Drillers take the field it will be in downtown Tulsa in 2026. They will open the 2026 campaign on Thursday, April 2 by hosting San Antonio at ONEOK Field. It will be a three-game, season opening series with the Missions.

Season memberships for next season are now available. To secure your membership, you can call the Drillers Ticket Office at 918-744-5901.

Check out the Tulsa Drillers Statistics

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Images from this story

Elijah Hainline of the Tulsa Drillers
Elijah Hainline of the Tulsa Drillers
(Paige Grider)		   



Texas League Stories from September 19, 2025


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