Missions Sweep Travelers in Series-Opening Doubleheader

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TL San Antonio Missions

Missions Sweep Travelers in Series-Opening Doubleheader

May 28, 2025 - Texas League (TL)
San Antonio Missions News Release


NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The San Antonio Missions (26-21) stormed into Arkansas and swept a doubleheader against the Travelers (24-23) to begin their six-game series. With the pair of wins, the Missions have now won six straight games.

In game one, Jagger Haynes sparkled through his best start of the season. He retired the first ten batters he faced and didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning. He completed six innings for the first time in 2025, and Manuel Castro hung on for the save in the 4-1 win.

It took extra innings for anyone to score in game two, and the Missions put up the lone tally in the eighth. Nerwilian Cedeño drove in the deciding-run with a sacrifice fly, and four relievers followed Henry Baez in shutting the Travelers down as the Missions pulled out the 1-0 victory.

Game One

Haynes had all of his pitches working from the get-go, setting down the first ten Travelers before a walk in the fourth. He picked Bill Knight off immediately, however, and continued his roll. Arkansas starter Michael Morales matched him through four and kept the game scoreless.

With the game locked at zero in the fifth, Marcos Castañon singled to reach base. He then scurried to second on a Morales wild pitch, which really paid off when Cedeño lined a two-out single into center field. Castañon hustled home from second and gave the Missions a 1-0 lead.

San Antonio added some cushion in the sixth. Brandon Valenzuela knocked an RBI single past a drawn-in infield to make it 2-0. Then Anthony Vilar drove a run in on a bases-loaded groundout before an error allowed another in, so the Missions led 4-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth.

Haynes allowed a lead-off walk in the sixth, but he had still not allowed a hit until Blake Rambusch smacked a single with one out in the inning. The Travelers put pressure on Haynes and scored on a wild pitch, but Knight lined right into a 6-4 double play to end the threat. For Haynes, this got him through six innings for the first time in 2025.

Castro came on for the save and loaded the bases with two outs. Castro managed to fan Josh Hood to secure the game one win for San Antonio by a score of 4-1.

Game Two

Both teams had plenty of opportunities in the nightcap. Arkansas loaded the bases in the first, but Baez wiggled out of trouble. The righty ended up making it through 4.1 innings with three hits, three walks and two strikeouts, but most importantly, no runs allowed.

The Travelers placed runners on first and second with none out in the third, but Baez again escaped. Arkansas starter Danny Wirchansky at one point set down eight consecutive Missions until Moisès Gòmez and Romeo Sanabria singled in the fourth. With two outs, Gòmez got gunned down trying to steal third.

In the fifth, the Missions covered the corners with two gone. San Antonio tried to force the issue by sending Cedeño to second, and catcher Nick Raposo made the throw down, but second baseman Yoyner Fajardo cut it off and returned it to Raposo, who applied the tag on Joshua Mears trying to steal home.

Things seemed especially shaky in the seventh, when Gòmez dropped a ball in left that put a runner at second with no one out. Josè Espada induced a couple of pop-outs and then Jake Higginbotham got Victor Labrada to ground out to send the game into extra innings.

That's when Wyatt Hoffman bunted to advance the ghost runner, Vilar, to third. Cedeño jumped on the first pitch and sent it deep enough to left field to score the run, giving the Missions a 1-0 advantage.

Bradgley Rodriguez took over and dealt with a jam when a Hoffman error allowed the ghost runner to move to third and Knight to reach first with nobody out. Rodriguez locked in and blew fastballs right by Raposo and Jared Sundstrom for strikeouts before forcing Hunter Fitz-Gerald to ground out, securing a thrilling 1-0 win and doubleheader sweep for San Antonio.

UP NEXT:

The Missions and Travelers continue their six-game series in North Little Rock with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch on Thursday night. Righty Sam Whiting (0-0, 5.79) goes for San Antonio while lefty Reid VanScoter (1-0, 3.77) starts for Arkansas. 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. Fans can also visit the box office at Wolff Stadium on gamedays.

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Texas League Stories from May 28, 2025


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