'Hounds Unable to Complete Sweep, Fall 7-6 to Tulsa
April 9, 2017 - Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release
Four times on Saturday night the Tulsa Drillers took the lead, and three times the RockHounds came back to tie or better. Reliever Joe Broussard made sure there would not be a fourth comeback, snuffing out a potential game-tying rally in the eighth inning before retiring the side in order in the ninth to give the Drillers their first win, 7-6, in the season-opening, three-game series at Security Bank Ballpark.
Kyle Farmer reached on a one-out error that scored one run and then Paul Hoenecke drove in Edwin Rios on a sacrifice fly to right to tive the Drillers a 2-0 advantage. The 'Hounds came right back to take what would be their only lead of the night with a three-run home half of the first. J.P. Sportman had an RBI single and catcher Argenis Raga drove in two runs with a single in his first Double-A at-bat.
A critical throwing error by third baseman Melvin Mercedes allowed Tulsa to score the tying run in the top of the second and the Drillers went on to add two more (unearned) runs for a 5-3 lead. The two-run advantage stood until Tyler Marincov blasted the first home run of the season for either club, a towering two-run shot over the left field bullpen in the fifth. He finished 3-for-5 with a double, HR and two RBI.
Tulsa took its third lead on a "what goes around comes around" moment in the seventh. Jacob Scavuzzo, whose potential game-tying home run bid on opening night was denied by Sportman's brilliant catch at the left field bullpen railing, lined a solo shot into that same bullpen, wrapping the drive around the foul pole for a 6-5 advantage. Marincov opened the last of the seventh with a double and Raga added to his tremendous debut performance with a two-out RBI double to right, forging a 6-6 tie.
Wynston Sawyer led off the eighth with a double off Joel Seddon and Michael Ahmed's two-out single against reliever Sam Bragg gave Tulsa the lead for the fourth and final time.
Brett Vertigan, who went 2-for-3 with a triple and a walk in his 2017 debut, singled to lead off the eighth and got as far as third base before Broussard entered the game and retired two batters, including Marincov on strikes, to end the threat.
The RockHounds took the three-game series and now host the Springfield Cardinals in a three-game set beginning Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. The Cardinals, despite falling 10-2 on Saturday night at Frisco, took two-of-three from the RoughRiders.
The Cardinals' starter will be Dakota Hudson, St. Louis' first round draft selection last June out of Mississippi State, who will be making his regular season Double-A debut. The RockHounds will counter with the tandem of Ben Bracewell and Kyle Friedrichs, each making his first appearance of the season. The clubs will continue the series with 6:30 p.m. starts on Monday and Tuesday evenings at Security Bank Ballpark.
Quick Notes
Both clubs had outstanding at-bats with two strikes on the count, Melvin Mercedes' first trip to the plate at the Double-A level among them. After falling behind, 0-2, in the bottom of the first, Mercedes ran the count full and fouled off a half-dozen two-strike pitches before singling to center (and eventually scoring the tying run) on what was a 12-pitch at-bat. Tyler Marincov is 6-for-11 (.545), with two doubles, a home run, five RBI and a .571 OBP through the season's first three games. J.P. Sportman is 5-for-12 (.417), has scored three runs and driven one two, adding two walks for a .500 OBP. Argenis Raga finished his first game at the Double-A level by going 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Paul Hoenecke made a sensational catch on Sportman's pop foul in the ninth. Tulsa's first baseman chased the pop-up to the edge of ... and into ... the RockHounds' dugout. He landed at the base of the dugout steps ... with the ball still in his glove. Tulsa's Kyle Farmer finished 5-for-11 (.455) and catcher/designated hitter Wynston Sawyer went 4-for-7 with three doubles, the last of them turning into the game-winning run Saturday night (scored by pinch-runner Tim Locastro).
Texas League Stories from April 9, 2017
- Riders Game Notes: April 9 vs. Tulsa - Frisco RoughRiders
- RoughRiders Offer Phil Simms Lead Analyst Job - Frisco RoughRiders
- Missions Take Series from Nats with 5-3 Win - San Antonio Missions
- 'Hounds Unable to Complete Sweep, Fall 7-6 to Tulsa - Midland RockHounds
- Drillers Earn First Victory of 2017 - Tulsa Drillers
- Deetz Dazzles for Corpus Christi - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Offensive Outburst Carries Riders to First Win of the Season - Frisco RoughRiders
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
