TL1 Arkansas Travelers

RoughRiders Win on Tracy's Extra-Inning RBI

Published on July 6, 2009 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release


NORTH LITTLE ROCK - The Arkansas Travelers held a one-run lead going into the final inning of the first game of Monday's doubleheader but could not hold on, allowing the Frisco RoughRiders to tie the game in the top of the seventh and take the lead in the eighth, holding the Travs scoreless over the last two frames to win 5-4 at Dickey-Stephens Park.

Chris Gradoville singled off Arkansas reliever David Herndon to lead off the seventh inning and later scored on Craig Gentry's sacrifice fly off Bobby Cassevah (L, 1-4), who was charged with a blown save for allowing the inherited runner to score, which tied the game 4-4. Herndon faced two batters and got two outs in the sixth, but he allowed a single, walk and successful sacrifice bunt to start the seventh and was charged with the run that tied the game.

Mark Trumbo came to the plate with a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh with one out and runners on the corners, but he popped out to the shortstop. Wil Ortiz then grounded out to second baseman Renny Osuna, who bobbled the ball and made a poor throw but was saved by Chad Tracy's diving stop at first, who kept his toe on the bag to save the game. Tracy came up big in the top of the next inning too, hitting the go-ahead sacrifice fly to deep left that scored Tim Smith, who reached on a leadoff walk.

Beau Vaughan (W, 1-0) earned his first win for pitching 1.2 innings of scoreless relief, striking out two and allowing two hits. Pedro Strop tossed one no-hit inning, and starter Michael Ballard struggled through 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits.

Frisco (5-5, 38-42) jumped on Arkansas starter Tim Kiely for three runs, with Dustin Majewski and Smith reaching with one out, Mitch Moreland knocking in Majewski on a groundout, and Johnny Whittleman slamming a two-run home run to right field. Kiely rebounded nicely, setting down 12 of the next 14 batters, which allowed the Travs to slowly get back in the game.

The Travelers (3-7, 31-49) got one run in the second when Trumbo doubled, advanced to third on an Ortiz bunt single and scored on Val Majewski's double. But Arkansas missed an opportunity with two on and no outs, as the bottom of the Travs' lineup went down in order.

Arkansas kept chipping away in the third, with Peter Bourjos leading off with a bunt single. Hainley Statia singled on a blooper to left, and Trumbo drove in Bourjos with a sacrifice to the centerfielder. Bourjos did all the work in the fifth, hitting a solo home run (4) to lead off the inning. Val Majewski hit a ground-rule double and scored on a Flint Wipke line single in the sixth to give the Travelers their first lead, which lasted half an inning.

The eight-inning affair lasted 2:30. Lefthander Barret Browning (0-7, 4.03 ERA) and lefty Kasey Kiker (4-5, 3.00) are on the mound for the second half of the twin billing.

Check out the Arkansas Travelers Statistics

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Texas League Stories from July 6, 2009


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