Drillers Stumble in Extra Innings, Fall Short in Sweep Attempt

Published on July 6, 2026 under Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release

Wichita, KS - On Sunday evening, the Tulsa Drillers were attempting to do something they had done only once this season. After winning the first five games of their series in Wichita, the Drillers were in position to sweep the six-game series. But twice, they failed to hold two-run leads as the Wichita Wind Surge scored three runs in the bottom of the tenth inning to defeat Tulsa 9-8 at Equity Bank Park.

The win for Wichita ended its ten-game losing streak and snapped Tulsa's five-game winning streak.

The game was scoreless until the third inning when Wichita produced the first two runs of the night. Leadoff hitter Andrew Cossetti produced the first run with his fifth homer of the series. Marek Houston followed and drew a walk, stole second and third bases, and scored on Khadim Diaw's single. Diaw reached scoring position by stealing second base and scored on Kyle DeBarge's double to give the Wind Surge a 3-0 lead.

Tulsa rallied for five runs in the fifth inning to take its first lead. Mike Sirota began the scoring with a solo home run to center field. The Drillers then loaded the bases on a double and two singles before Taylor Young also doubled to drive in two runs and tie the game. Hayden Gilliland hit his own double to bring in two more runs and give the Drillers a 5-3 lead.

Wichita quickly responded in its half of the fifth when Billy Amick tied the game with a two-run homer.

The game remained tied until the seventh inning when Frank Rodriguez hit a two-out double, then scored one batter later on Josue De Paula's single that put Tulsa back in front 6-5.

The Drillers' lead again did not last long as the Wind Surge scored in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 6-6. With two outs, Garrett Spain tripled to set up DeBarge, who drove him in for Wichita's sixth run.

Neither team scored again until the tenth inning when Tulsa regained the lead in the top half of the inning. With De Paula starting at second base, he advanced to third on a fly out to right field and scored on Jake Gelof's single. Gelof advanced to third when Hope doubled and eventually scored on a wild pitch to put the Drillers ahead 8-6.

Wichita once again answered in the bottom of the tenth. Reliever Antonio Knowles stayed on for his second inning after tossing a scoreless ninth. Wichita made it a one-run game with two singles that scored the placed runner. A hit batter followed to load the bases, and Quinn McDaniel singled to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs and give Wichita the victory.

GAME NOTES

*Sirota extended his on-base streak to 68 straight games with his homer in the fifth. His streak is just six games short of the recent Minor League Baseball record of reaching base in 74 straight games set by Andrew Velasquez of South Bend in 2014. Sirota has reached base safely in all 38 games he has played in with the Drillers. Before his promotion to Tulsa, the outfielder reached base in his final 30 games with High-A Great Lakes.

*Gelof drew a walk in his first plate appearance to extend his own on-base streak to 43 straight games. It is the longest on-base streak in the Texas League this year, when just counting Texas League games.

*Zyhir Hope kept his big week going with four more hits on Sunday. It was his sixth straight game that he has recorded a hit, and he finished the week with 14 hits, three home runs, 13 RBI and a .519 batting average.

*The loss was charged to Knowles, dropping his record to 2-1. The final two runs were the first he had allowed since he joined the Drillers on May 25. It ended his scoreless streak at 15.0 consecutive innings.

*Tulsa starting pitcher Peter Heubeck was given a no decision as his evening ended after pitching 2.2 innings and giving up three runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

*Young also finished with a four-hit night. It was just his second four-hit game in his professional career.

*The Drillers clinched this year's Coors Light Propeller Series with Friday's victory. They now have a 14-4 record against the Wind Surge this season.

*Sean McLain left the game after he ran out a ground ball and fell to the ground. Following his departure, Rodriguez entered to play third base and was perfect in three fielding attempts.

UP NEXT

The Drillers will return to Tulsa and begin a six-game series against the first-place Springfield Cardinals on Tuesday night at ONEOK Field. Starting time for the series opener is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and neither team's starting pitcher has been announced.

Jake Gelof of the Tulsa Drillers prepares to complete a double play (Ed Bailey)

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• Hope Honored as Texas League's Player of the Week - Tulsa Drillers
• Travelers Announce Second Half Promotional Schedule for 2026 - Arkansas Travelers
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• Drillers Stumble in Extra Innings, Fall Short in Sweep Attempt - Tulsa Drillers

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