TL1 Tulsa Drillers

Hundley Smashes Drillers

Published on June 29, 2007 under Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release


In the second game of a doubleheader Friday night, the Tulsa Drillers were "flying solo." But that proved to not be enough as the San Antonio Missions rallied to beat Tulsa 5-3 to sweep the doubleheader at Drillers Stadium. The Missions have won five of six games at Drillers Stadium this year. The Drillers three solo home runs were wasted when Nick Hundley belted a three-run homer off closer Steven Register in the final inning.

Hundley nearly defeated the Drillers single-handedly. The Missions catcher was 2-3 and drove in all of five of his team's runs.

The Drillers never trailed in the game until Hundley's homer in the seventh inning.

Tulsa opened the game's scoring when Aaron Rifkin hit his team-leading tenth home run of the year in the second inning. It was the first of the three solo homers for the Drillers. The Missions tied the game at 1-1 in the third, despite not getting a hit. With one out, Peter Ciofrone hit a pop fly to Corey Wimberly. Wimberly mishandled it, allowing Ciofrone to get to second. A passed ball moved Ciofrone to third, which allowed him to score on Hundley's sacrifice fly.

Corey Wimberly hit his first home run of the year in the third. Wimberly's homer to left field gave the Drillers a 2-1 advantage. It was the Jacksonville native's first home run in Double A.

Hundley, who roomed with Tulsa outfielder Chris Frey at Arizona for three years, tied the game again in the fifth with an RBI-single to left that plated Chase Headley and evened the score 2-2.

The Drillers third run came off the bat of Rick Guarno. Guarno led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo homer to center. The go-ahead homer was Guarno's fifth of the year and put the Drillers up 3-2.

The pivotal seventh inning began with Register (0-2) retiring the leadoff hitter, but he allowed a single to Ciofrone and a walk to Headley to set the stage for Hundley's game winner.

Drillers starting pitcher Matt Daley left the game after three innings, surrendering one hit and one unearned run. Daley struck out four and walked two.

Missions reliever Neil Jamison (3-4) earned the win and Paul Abraham picked up his seventh save.

Like game one, game two was delayed by rain. A shower in the middle of the fourth inning stopped the game for 34 minutes.

The Drillers will host Corpus Christi for a three-game series starting Saturday. The Drillers will throw Ryan Mattheus (5-4, 3.78) against the Hooks' Jimmy Barthmaier (2-4, 5.98) with first pitch set for 7:05PM. Barthmaier is the Houston Astros' No. 4 prospect.

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Texas League Stories from June 29, 2007


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