Drillers win in ninth
April 23, 2005 - Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Corey Slavik just missed hitting his second home run of the season in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night at Drillers Stadium, but he was not too disappointed. His towering, two-out drive just missed clearing the wall in right field, but the double allowed Gustavo Escobar to trot home with the winning run in a 3-2 victory for the Drillers over the Springfield Cardinals. The win was the second in a row for the Drillers and improved their season record to 9-6.
Tulsa's ninth inning rally began with a one-out, bad-hop infield single by Escobar, who was pinch-hitting for pitcher Jentry Beckstead. It was the first hit for a Drillers pinch-hitter this season.
After Escobar stole second base, Tony Miller grounded out to the shortstop for the second out of the inning. The Cardinals intentionally walked Jeff Salazar, and manager Chris Maloney then summoned Josh Axelson from the bullpen to pitch Slavik. The Drillers third baseman, who leads Tulsa with 13 runs batted in, greeted the righthander with his drive off the wall in right to end the game.
The Cardinals, playing their first-ever game in Tulsa, scored the game's first run in the second inning off Drillers starter Keith Ramsey. Singles by Papo Bolivar and Travis Hanson were followed by a run-scoring single from Bo Robinson.
Tulsa took the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs off Springfield starter Randy Leek. With one out, Jayson Nix and Ryan Spilborghs doubled. Dan Conway followed with towering double down the left field that brought home both Nix and Spilborghs to give the Drillers a 2-1 lead.
Springfield tied the game in the sixth with a run off Gerrit Simpson. A two-out triple by Bolivar plated Kevin Estrada, who had doubled earlier in the inning. The scored remained tied at 2-2 until Slavik's heroics in the ninth inning.
Jentry Beckstead improved his record to 2-0 with three shutout innings. Beckstead allowed only one hit and did not walk a hitter while striking out two.
Both starters pitched well. Ramsey surrendered only the one run on four hits in five innings of work, while Leek allowed seven hits and two runs in seven innings.
Slavik and Spilborghs had two hits each to lead a 10-hit attack for the Drillers. Bolivar was 2-4 with a run batted in for the Cardinals.
The two teams will meet again Saturday night. Jeremy Cook (1-0, 2.51) will make the start for the Cardinals against Christian Parker(1-1, 1.20) of the Drillers. On April 13, the same pitching match-up resulted in a 1-0 Springfield victory at Hammons Field. There were only five combined hits in the earlier meeting.
Game time on Saturday is set for 7:05PM with a Fireworks display scheduled for after the game.
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Texas League Stories from April 23, 2005
- Drillers win in ninth - Tulsa Drillers
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