RockHounds' Rally Stuns Drillers
Published on August 10, 2011 under Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
A six-game road trip to Texas got off to a heartbreaking start for the Tulsa Drillers Wednesday night. In Midland, the Drillers twice rallied from deficits to take leads before blowing a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning to suffer a 10-9 loss to the RockHounds.
Tulsa appeared to be on its way to a victory after erasing a 7-3 RockHounds' lead. The rally was capped by a two-run homer from second baseman Tommy Field in the top of the eighth inning. Field's 17th homer of the season gave the Drillers a 9-7 lead.
After Dustin Molleken worked his second scoreless inning in the eighth, Tulsa called on its closer Daniel Turpen in the bottom of the ninth. Shane Peterson greeted Turpen with a leadoff single. Wes Timmons followed with a bouncer up the middle that shortstop Hector Gomez and Field watched roll into centerfield. Jeremy Barfield fouled out for the for the first out of the inning before Ryan Ortiz loaded the bases with a pop up that dropped into right field for a base hit.
Turpen then forced in a run with a walk, and Matthew Sulentic ended the game with a two-run single to left field.
The blown save was Turpen's fourth of the season, while the loss dropped his record to 2-4.
The Drillers had to battle from behind through most of the game as Midland centerfielder Grant Green staked the RockHounds to an early lead with a two-run homer off Tulsa starter Dan Houston in the top of the first inning.
Tulsa staged it first comeback with a two-out, three-run rally in the third. Erik Wetzel drew a walk and eventually scored on a wild pitch. With the bases empty, Gomez doubled and scored on another two-base hit from Ben Paulsen. Bronson Sardinha followed with a ground ball single to right that scored Paulsen to put Tulsa in front 3-2.
The lead quickly disappeared in the bottom of the third when the RockHounds opened the inning with five straight singles to go back in front 5-3. Later in the inning, Shane Peterson doubled home another run, and Ryan Ortiz made it 7-3 with an RBI single.
Tulsa got a run back in the sixth inning when Lars Davis drew a walk and scored on a two-out base hit from Gomez.
Another three-run inning for the Drillers in the seventh tied the score at 7-7. Sardinha led off with a base hit and scored when Mike Mitchell followed with a double to right-center field. After Field walked to put runners at first and second, Midland reliever Jonathan Ortiz struck out Brian Rike and Davis, but Wetzel produced a big two-out base hit with a soft liner to right field that scored Mitchell to even the score.
Game two of the series in Midland will be played at 7:00PM Thursday night. The pitching matchup will feature Cory Riordan (1-11, 5.54 ERA) for the Drillers against Anthony Capra (1-4, 6.04 ERA) of the RockHounds.
NOTES: Right fielder Matt McBride left the game in the top of the third inning, replaced by Mitchell. McBride was removed as a precautionary measure with what was termed a tweaked oblique.
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