Late Inning Heroics Seal Drillers Win
June 13, 2011 - Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Dropping seven of their last ten games going into Monday night's game the Tulsa Drillers were in desperate need of a win after late losses in the last few games. Monday night would be a turnaround of sorts as catcher Lars Davis and Jimmy Cesario would save the Drillers from a near death experience against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. With one out and runners on the corners Davis would crush a three run homer clearing the wall in left-center field. The home run would clinch a victory for the Drillers as they topped the Naturals by the score of 9-7. Tulsa will look to build off the late victory Monday night as the team is still in contention to capture the first half North Division crown.
After the first two Drillers grounded out to begin the game recently announced All-Stars Ben Paulsen and Scott Beerer would each line a single and double putting them on second and third with two outs. Jimmy Cesario would then rip a single up the middle scoring both runners handing the Drillers an early 2-0 lead.
The lead however was short-lived by the Drillers as a combination of four hits, two stolen bases, and one error would plague the Drillers in the bottom of the first. What was an early lead in the top half of the inning quickly dissipated as the Naturals pushed four runs in the inning doubling up the Drillers 4-2 through the first.
After a scoreless second the Naturals would add one more run when starter Rob Scahill walked the leadoff hitter that was quickly followed by a Tim Smith double just over the head of center fielder Tim Wheeler stretching the gap to 5-2.
The Drillers would battle back in the top of the fourth. Brian Rike led off the inning with a walk and then advanced to third on a Wheeler single. Thomas Field would then drive a double deep in the right field gap to score Rike and put Wheeler on third with only one out.
After a Paulsen ground out to second that scored Wheeler and moved Field up to third, Beerer would crush his second double of the game this time off the center field wall bringing the Drillers back even with the Naturals at 5-5.
The Naturals again would come back in the fourth. Scahill allowed only his seventh home run in just over seventy innings pitched in 2011 to Naturals right fielder Wil Myers. The home run would put the Naturals back on top 6-5.
After allowing only five runs in his first two outings against the Naturals earlier in the season Scahill would surrender six runs, four earned on nine hits and three walks. The start broke a seven game streak in which Scahill pitched at least six innings.
The Drillers were not done yet. Beerer led off the inning with a walk and then would steal second base and advance to third when the ball was overthrown into center field.
Beerer would score when the next batter, Bronson Sardinha, hit a deep sacrifice fly to the warning track in the right field alley. The run brought the Drillers back to tie the Naturals at 6-6.
The run would come to no avail as the Drillers could not complete the shut-down inning in the bottom half of the seventh. After Jarrett got the first two batters to pop and ground out, Tim Smith hit his seventh home run of the season over the center field wall giving the Naturals a 7-6 advantage.
Lars Davis and the bottom half of the Drillers line-up would give the team a shot in the arm in the top of the ninth. Sardinha and Cesario both had back to back singles with one out in the ninth giving the Drillers a chance with runners on the corners for Davis. Davis would then go on to hit one of the biggest home runs for the Drillers in 2011.
The three-run bomb gave Tulsa a 9-7 lead going into the bottom half of the ninth.
Joey Williamson would come on in the bottom of the ninth to notch his first save of the season in his first opportunity.
The Drillers and Naturals will play the third game of the series Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 PM at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale. The Drillers will send Josh Sullivan (2-3, 5.51) to the mound as the Naturals have Zack Miner (1-2, 5.82) penciled in as the opposing pitcher.
Texas League Stories from June 13, 2011
- Drillers Win Slugfest in Ninth - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Late Inning Heroics Seal Drillers Win - Tulsa Drillers
- Hooks Fall To Missions In Game Two - San Antonio Missions
- Travs Three Games Over .500 with Win - Arkansas Travelers
- Cardinals Fall to Travelers 7-3 - Springfield Cardinals
- Bianucci, Roughriders Slam Midland 13-6 - Frisco RoughRiders
- Game Notes, June 13 - Corpus Christi at San Antonio - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Mount on DL Again - Arkansas Travelers
- 8 Drillers Named Texas League All-Stars - Tulsa Drillers
- Travs Lead All-Star Team - Arkansas Travelers
- Seratelli, Perez Voted in as All-Stars - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- 2011 Texas League All-Star Team Announced - Springfield Cardinals
- Hooks Home for a Dozen - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Four Hooks Voted to South All-Star Squad - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Belnome Earns Player Of The Week Honors - San Antonio Missions
- Texas League All-Star Rosters Announced - San Antonio Missions
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