PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

RedHawks Game Notes

Published on May 18, 2010 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


SPRINGDALE, AR- After spotting the Drillers a 3-0 lead in the first inning, the Naturals came back to score nine unanswered runs and beat Tulsa 9-3 on Tuesday morning in front of 8,891 school kids. The crowd in attendance represented the second largest crowd ever at Arvest Ballpark.

Tulsa came out of the gates swinging on Tuesday. Daniel Mayora led off with a double and Scott Beerer's RBI single brought him right in. Beerer swiped second and Jeff Kindel drew a walk. Both came in on a two-run double by Bronson Sardinha that put the Drillers up 3-0 before the Naturals even recorded an out. Naturals starter Eduardo Paulino buckled down, getting Ryan Harvey to strike out swinging, Kiel Roling to line out, and Matt Repec to strike out on a foul tip to end the frame.

Paulino managed to escape trouble all afternoon, including escaping a two-on, two-out situation in the second inning before the Naturals' bats got to work in the bottom of the frame.

Facing Greg Reynolds, a right-hander on a Major League Rehabilitation Assignment from the Drillers' parent Colorado Rockies, Jeff Howell greeted him in the second with a double and scored on a one-out RBI double from Ernesto Mejia. Paulo Orlando followed with a single and then Mejia scored on an RBI single from Chris McConnell which cut the Drillers' lead to 3-2. Derrick Robinson followed and drove in Orlando to tie the ballgame.

The Naturals looked as if they'd break it open right then and there, with two on and just one out. But some costly baserunning got Reynolds two quick outs and he escaped the jam. Derrick Robinson took off for second and got hung up in the effort. Although Robinson was able to evade the tag and get back to first safely, McConnell had departed third base and was picked off. The Drillers then managed to successfully get Robinson attempting to swipe second for the third out.

Paulino wiggled out of another mini-jam in the fourth. Matt Repec singled and Dayton Buller doubled to start the frame, giving Tulsa a two-on situation with nobody out. Paulino fanned Jason Van Kooten, then retired both Daniel Mayora and Scott Beerer on groundouts to get out of the inning.

Jeff Howell came up to lead off the Naturals portion of the fourth and he singled. After Tim Smith flied out, Ernesto Mejia drove Howell in with a double to put the Naturals up 5-3. Tim Smith blasted a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth that landed in the Subway Berm in right field, putting the game squarely out of reach for Tulsa (15-22).

Louis Coleman relieved Paulino (4-1) for the sixth. Paulino allowed seven hits and walked two in five innings. He fanned six and Coleman combined with Kelvin Villa to hold the Drillers to just three hits the rest of the way to preserve his fourth victory on the season.

Reynolds (0-1), the former first-round pick of the Rockies (second overall in 2006) was tattooed for all nine runs and 13 hits. The nine runs he allowed in just 4 2/3 innings of work amazingly eclipsed the eight earned runs he allowed in eight starts, covering 50 2/3 innings, en route to being a Texas League All-Star with Tulsa in 2007. The former Stanford Cardinal is working his way back from taking a line drive off his elbow in spring training after missing almost all of 2009 with a shoulder injury.

Northwest Arkansas (23-14) amassed 17 hits on the day. Derrick Robinson, Paulo Orlando, and Ernesto Mejia all were members of the three-hit club, while Jeff Howell also reached base three times with two hits and a walk.

The two teams will play their second consecutive daygame on Wednesday morning at 11 A.M. Left-hander Edgar Osuna (4-1, 1.38) will toe the rubber for the Naturals opposite right hander Cory Riordan (1-3, 6.11). Osuna has been outstanding on the mound this season for the Naturals. He is second in the league in ERA, and leads the Naturals in wins. Osuna received a no decision his last time on the mound. In that start he went six innings, gave up two earned runs, and struck out one. Riordan has been struggling this season, and he was roughed up in his last trip to the mound as well. In that start Riordan pitched four innings, gave up six earned runs, and struck out three.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. The Naturals have a toll-free ticket hotline (1-877-444-2637) for fans to purchase Naturals tickets. Our website, nwanaturals.com offers fans the opportunity to purchase tickets online and avoid lines at the ticket windows by printing their tickets at home or at the office.

Check out the Oklahoma City Comets Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Pacific Coast League Stories from May 18, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central