Pitching, Taylor Young Lead Drillers to Eleventh Inning, Walk-Off Win
Published on September 1, 2025 under Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
Tulsa Drillers celebrate a walk-off victory
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Tim Campbell)
Tulsa, OK - The Tulsa Drillers got another strong effort from their pitching staff on Sunday night, and they needed it against the Corpus Christi Hooks. Drillers' pitchers limited the Hooks to just one hit through eleven innings before securing a dramatic win on Taylor Young's walk-off single in the bottom half of the eleventh. Young's clutch hit plated Chris Newell with the winning run in a narrow 2-1 victory at ONEOK Field.
It was the fourth straight win for the Drillers as they took five of the six games in the series with the Hooks. With the result, Tulsa maintained its two-games lead on second place in the Texas League's North Division and in position to claim the second playoff spot that will come from the division.
The Drillers can credit their pitching staff for their last three wins over the Hooks. In those three games, Tulsa hurlers have given up a combined four runs and a total of just six hits. The three victories have come via a two-hitter, a three-hitter and Sunday's one-hitter.
Despite the strong effort, the hooks were still in a position to pick up a victory in the series finale. Tied at 1-1, neither team scored in the tenth inning, but the Drillers came close. With runners at first and third and one out, Newell struck out on a checked swing on a ball in the dirt. The ball skipped to the backstop and Zach Ehrhard attempted to score from third, but the ball caromed directly to Corpus Christi pitcher Wilmy Sanchez who applied a tag on a headfirst slide.
As he did in the tenth, Christian Suarez kept the Hooks off the scoreboard in the top of the eleventh to set up the winning run in the bottom half of the inning.
Newell started the inning as the placed runner at the second, and Corpus Christi elected to intentionally walk Kole Myers. Griffin Lockwood-Powell walked to load the bases and bring Young to the plate. After taking a called strike, the Tulsa shortstop hit a liner that fell just in front of right fielder Orlando Martinez, plating Newell with the game winner.
The walk-off handed Suarez the victory, improving his record to 4-3. The lefthander worked two innings and upped his scoreless streak to 25.0 straight innings and 15 games.
The Drillers struck first in the game, scoring the first run in the bottom of the second inning. Newell led off with a base hit off Corpus Christi starter Jackson Nezuh, and he moved into scoring position with his 23rd stolen base of the year. He came home on Lockwood-Powell's one-out single.
It stayed 1-0 until the Hooks scored a run in the fourth inning without needing a hit. Tulsa starting pitcher Wyatt Crowell hit leadoff batter Joseph Sullivan with a pitch to set up the run. Sullivan stole second base, and when catcher Lockwood-Powell's throw sailed into centerfield, he raced to third. Sullivan scored the tying run on Orlando Martinez's slow roller in front of the plate, sliding in safely ahead of Crowell's glove throw to home.
Pitching dominated from there, with relievers for each team, Chris Campos for Tulsa and Joey Mancini for Corpus Christi, each throwing four shutout innings.
INSIDE THE GAME
*Lockwood-Powell extended his current hitting streak to nine straight games.
*It was the tenth walk-off win of the season for the Drillers and their second of the series. It was the first walk-off hit for Young.
*Newell is now a perfect 23 for 23 in stolen base attempts this season. The Texas League record for most consecutively steals in one season was set by Jeff Cross with 27 straight while playing for Houston in the 1942 TL season. In parts of two seasons, Newell is now 30 for 30 in career steal attempts with the Drillers.
*Crowell worked five complete innings, allowing just one hit and one run, which was unearned. The lefthander walked two batters and struck out five. In two appearances in the series with the Hooks, Crowell combined for 9.0 innings pitched and gave up just two hits and the one unearned run.
*The Drillers are currently in a playoff spot despite trailing first-place Springfield by two games in the division standings. The Cardinals also won the first half, and if they hold on to win the second half, the second place team in the second half will get the other playoff berth. There are 12 games remaining in the season.
UP NEXT
The Drillers will now embark on their final road trip of the regular season, opening a six-game series in Wichita Tuesday night. The series will be critical in the race for the second playoff spot from the Texas League's North Division, and it will also determine the winner of this year's Coors Light Propeller Series.
The Propeller Trophy is awarded to the team that wins the regular season series between Tulsa and Wichita. It is the fifth season of the Propeller Series, and this year's series is currently tied at nine wins each. Wichita won the first trophy in 2021, but Tulsa has won in each of the last three seasons.
Tuesday's series opener will begin at 7:05 p.m. at Wichita's at Equity Bank Park, and neither team has announced its pitching rotation for the series.
Images from this story
 Tulsa Drillers celebrate a walk-off victory (Tim Campbell) |
Texas League Stories from September 1, 2025
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