Drillers Walk off with 7-6 Win on Sunday
Published on June 17, 2018 under Texas League (TL1)
Springfield Cardinals News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Tulsa Drillers walked off with a walk-heavy bottom of the ninth to take the 7-6 win against the Springfield Cardinals before 3,553 fans at ONEOK Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Cardinals (32-37) came out swinging in the top of the second against RHP Mitchell White. With two away and the bases empty, 1B Stefan Trosclair slugged a solo shot to left field, his third home run in Double-A, lifting the Cardinals into the 1-0 lead.
The Drillers (34-35) responded with an RBI single from C Keibert Ruiz and an RBI fielder's choice from 2B Drew Jackson in the second, but Springfield came right back in the third. After RHP Connor Jones led off with a walk, 2B Tommy Edman collected the first of his three hits on the day, extending his on-base streak to 23 games. Both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt from SS Edmundo Sosa, before Jones streaked home on an RBI sacrifice fly from CF Lane Thomas. 3B Evan Mendoza then placed an RBI single with two outs, scoring Edman for the 3-2 Cardinals lead.
Jones kept the lead intact until the fifth, when Tulsa plated a pair with a two-run single from LF Zach Reks for the 4-3 lead.
The Cardinals battled back with a two-out RBI double from RF Granden Goetzman in the top of the sixth, but the Drillers countered in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single from 2B Drew Jackson for the 5-4 lead.
Goetzman struck again in the eighth with another game-tying hit, this time ripping a two-out RBI triple to left-center, scoring LF Victor Roache from second base for the 5-5 tie.
However, Tulsa once again had a retort in the bottom of the eighth, plating the go-ahead run on an RBI sacrifice fly from RF Luke Raley to move back in front, 6-5.
The Cardinals refused to go down easily, rallying once more in the top of the ninth. With Thomas at second base and two away, Mendoza came through with a game-tying RBI double to right-center field, plating Thomas to tie the game, 6-6, and force a bottom of the ninth.
LHP Ian McKinney (L, 2-1) started the bottom of the ninth with a strikeout, but then lost Reks and C Keibert Ruiz with consecutive walks. McKinney battled back with a second strikeout, but put on 2B Drew Jackson with a two-out walk that loaded the bases. Out of position players, the Drillers turned to RHP Logan Bawcom as a pinch-hitter with the bases loaded and two away. McKinney, though, issued a four-pitch walk to Bawcom, forcing in the game-winning run in the Drillers 7-6 walk-off win. Tulsa RHP Layne Somsen (W, 1-0) notched the win.
Texas League Stories from June 17, 2018
- Hooks Take over Division Lead with Classic Contest, Set up Winner-Take-All Showdown with Missions Monday - San Antonio Missions
- Riders Fall 8-1 in Series Opener at Midland - Frisco RoughRiders
- Drillers Walk off with 7-6 Win on Sunday - Springfield Cardinals
- Naturals Keep First Half Hopes Alive with Walk-Off Win - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Walk-Off Walk Keeps Drillers in Playoff Race - Tulsa Drillers
- Naturals Walk-Off on Travs; Division Race Continues - Arkansas Travelers
- Hooks & Hounds Washed Out - Corpus Christi Hooks
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