Missions Snatch 12-Inning Thriller in Tulsa
TL San Antonio Missions

Missions Snatch 12-Inning Thriller in Tulsa

Published on May 1, 2026 under Texas League (TL)
San Antonio Missions News Release


TULSA, Okla. - Tirso Ornelas barely slid under the tag of catcher Griffin Lockwood-Powell in the 12th inning, making it a sacrifice fly off the bat of Luis Verdugo that ended up being the difference in a wild 5-4 win in 12 innings for the San Antonio Missions (6-18) over the Tulsa Drillers (16-8). The victory snaps San Antonio's seven-game losing streak.

The game began as a pitchers' duel between Fernando Sanchez and Patrick Copen. Sanchez went a season-best 4.1 innings in his second start of the season. He allowed just one run on his lone mistake of the night when Elijah Hainline sent an opposite-field homer to right-center field in the fourth, giving Tulsa a 1-0 lead.

Copen, the reigning Texas League Pitcher of the Week, retired nine straight Missions at one point and stood a strike away from an immaculate inning in the sixth. His 0-2 pitch after two strikeouts hit Leandro Cedeño, kicking off a frenzy. Ornelas walked to put two on before Ryan Jackson dribbled a ball to third. Jake Gelof charged the ball and airmailed his throw to first, allowing Cedeño to tie the game and Ornelas to give the Missions the lead as he scored all the way from first. Both runs went down as unearned on Copen.

Johan Moreno kept the lead intact for San Antonio into seventh, where Andrew Moore took over. An infield single started trouble for Moore, who ended up allowing a game-tying single by Sean McLain. As the seventh inning ended, the Drillers and Missions sat locked at 2-2.

That remained the score as the game carried into extras. In the top of the tenth, Verdugo tried bunting but instead earned a four-pitch walk to put two on with none out. Tucker did bunt, but first baseman Kyle Nevin pounced on it and threw to third to get the lead runner out. Albert Fabian then pinch hit and bounced into an inning-ending double play.

With a chance to win it, the Drillers had speedster Kendall George as the ghost runner. He moved to third on a Josue De Paula grounder, but lefty Omar Cruz struck out Nevin and got Zyhir Hope to bounce out to send the game into the 11th.

A failed bunt by Ethan Salas and groundout by Romeo Sanabria against Lucas Wepf made it seem like the Missions would again fail to score their ghost runner. That's when Cedeño walloped a ball 401ft well over the left field bleachers to catapult the Missions ahead 4-2.

What seemed like a magical swing got a response in the bottom of the 11th from Lockwood-Powell, who himself hit a two-run homer to even the game against Cruz. In unbelievable fashion, the game continued into the 12th at 4-4.

Jackson bunted the first pitch he saw from Kelvin Ramirez and moved Ornelas to third. Braedon Karpathios drew a walk to cover the corners ahead of Verdugo's at bat. On a full count, Verdugo skied the ball to not-so-deep right field. De Paula caught it and threw home, where Ornelas was headed. The throw bounced just enough to allow Ornelas to slide in safely, giving the Missions a 5-4 lead. Tucker followed up by lacing a double to right field, but De Paula initiated a relay home through McLain at second to gun down Karpathios and keep San Antonio ahead by just one.

Michael Flynn entered the game for San Antonio, and he hit George to give the Drillers first and second with no one out since they too had their runner in scoring position before the inning began. Flynn, facing 2-3-4 in the Drillers' order, struck out De Paula and Nevin before getting Hope to ground to second, where Jackson calmly gathered and threw to first for the final out. Flynn, the former Tulsa Driller, picked up his second save and secured San Antonio's dramatic victory.

Up Next:

The Missions and Drillers continue their six-game series on Friday at 7:00 p.m. in Tulsa. Lefty Jagger Haynes (0-1, 6.19) starts for San Antonio while righty Payton Martin (0-2, 11.25) starts for Tulsa. Catch all the action on Country Legends KKYX, 680 AM, 104.9 FM and kkyx.com. Tickets are available at samissions.com or by calling 210-675-7275.

Check out the San Antonio Missions Statistics

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Texas League Stories from May 1, 2026


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