Drillers Use 11 Innings To Beat Cards
Published on July 22, 2011 under Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
After failing to protect a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday night at Springfield's Hammons Field, it appeared that the Tulsa Drillers would miss a chance to move into a first-place tie atop the North Division standings of the Texas League. But, second baseman Tommy Field rescued Tulsa with a two-out, bases loaded double in the top of the eleventh to help send the Drillers to an 8-4 victory over the Springfield Cardinals.
The result, combined with Northwest Arkansas' victory over Arkansas, created a three-way, first-place tie in the North Division. The Drillers, Naturals and Travelers are even atop the standings with identical 13-13 records.
With score even at 4-4, Tulsa's game-saving rally in the eleventh began when Brian Rike drew a one-out walk and Lars Davis followed with a base hit. After pinch-hitter Scott Beerer was retired on strikes, Tim Wheeler drew a walk to load the bases and set the stage for Field.
The second baseman hit a sharp grounder just inside the third base bag and past a diving Zack Cox. The double plated both Rike and Davis to give the Drillers their third lead of the game. Paulsen added insurance runs when his single allowed Wheeler and Field to score to make it 8-4.
Dustin Molleken made sure this lead held as he retired the Redbirds in order in the bottom of the eleventh to end the game.
Tulsa scored a run in each of the first two innings to take an early 2-0 lead in the game. In the top of the first, Wheeler led off the game with a double and then scored the game's first run on a one-out single from Paulsen.
The red-hot Rike struck in the second inning for the Drillers, stroking a two-out, opposite-field home run. For Rike, it was his sixth home run of the year and his fourth this week.
The Cardinals scored single runs in both the second and third innings off Tulsa starting pitcher Christian Friedrich to even the score at 2-2. In the second, Cox doubled with one out and came home on a base hit by Jose Garcia.
Doubles by Ryan Jackson and Alex Castellanos produced the third-inning run.
The score remained tied until the Drillers retook the lead in the top of the sixth. Paulsen drew a leadoff walk, and Bronson Sardinha followed with his sixth home run of the season to restore Tulsa's two-run lead.
It was still 4-2 when the Drillers called on reliever Daniel Turpen to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth. Turpen quickly ran into trouble as Audry Perez doubled on his first pitch, and pinch-hitter Chris Swauger singled him home on the very next pitch to cut the Tulsa lead to a single run.
Turpen retired the next two hitters on fly balls to get within one out of ending the game, but he issued a two-out walk to the dangerous Matt Adams to prolong the game. Castellanos took advantage of the opportunity by dropping a base hit into shallow left field that plated Swauger with the tying run.
The Redbirds missed a chance to win the game when Turpen retired Jermaine Curtis on a ground ball to shortstop Hector Gomez to send the game into extra innings.
The Drillers totaled 16 hits in the game with Paulsen, Sardinha and Jimmy Cesario collected three each.
Reliever Joe Torres worked a scoreless tenth inning to pickup the win and improve his record to 3-1.
Tulsa returns home Friday night to begin a brief four-game homestand with Arkansas. The starting pitchers in the opener will be Rob Scahill (7-7, 4.51 ERA) for the Drillers against Eddie McKiernan (4-8, 5.94 ERA) of the Travelers. It is a rematch of last Sunday's pitching match up at ONEOK Field in a game the Drillers won a 5-2. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 7:05PM in downtown Tulsa.
Texas League Stories from July 22, 2011
- Scahill, Drillers Stop Travelers - Tulsa Drillers
- 'Riders blast 8 homers, score 19 in win - Frisco RoughRiders
- Naturals win sixth straight Friday night - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Travs Drop Sixth Straight To Drillers - Arkansas Travelers
- Cardinals Fall to Naturals 11-6 - Springfield Cardinals
- Game Notes, July 22 - Corpus Christi at Frisco - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Andrew Dobies Assigned to Naturals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Series Preview: Naturals Look to Keep Rolling - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- 8th Annual Conquer the Coast Saturday, September 24 - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Experience FRITOS Family Fridays at Whataburger Field - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Drillers Use 11 Innings To Beat Cards - Tulsa Drillers
- Cardinals Fall in 11 Innings, 8-4 - Springfield Cardinals
- Five Consecutive Losses Puts Travs in 3-Way Tie for First - Arkansas Travelers
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