Travs and Wranglers Split A Pair
Published on July 29, 2005 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, Wichita, KS - The Arkansas Travelers (19-17, 53-53) and Wichita Wranglers (20-16, 55-51) split a doubleheader to keep the Travs one game back of Wichita for first place in the East Division. The Wranglers smacked four home runs in the opener for a 9-4 defeat of the Travs. Arkansas RHP Kasey Olenberger (6-5) won his third consecutive start with 6.1 scoreless innings leading the Travs to a 2-0 shutout win in the nightcap. Wichita's 3B Brennan King drilled two home runs (9) in the first game and finished 3-for-3. Wichita RHP Ryan Baerlocher (5-2) pitched all seven innings for the victory with four hits and four runs allowed. LHP Willie Collazo (1-3) took the Travs loss with eight runs allowed in five innings. In the first game, Travs C Mike Napoli smacked a solo home run, his league-leading 20th. The Travs are now 9-1 in doubleheader games.
GAME ONE
The Travs took a second inning lead as Baerlocher struggled with command. Napoli drew a leadoff walk and then 2B Brett Groves muffed a chopper hit by Tommy Murphy to put Napoli at third base. Baerlocher then hit Kendry Morales with a pitch before Greg Porter lofted a sacrifice fly to left to bring Napoli home for a 1-0 lead.
Wichita stormed back immediately in the bottom of the second inning. King led off the second inning with a single but was forced out at second base on a fielder's choice hit by John Draper. Draper took off for second base on a curveball, but Napoli's throw bounced into center field giving Draper third base. It appeared that Collazo might get out of the inning when he got Mitch Maier to ground to the left of second base, but SS Erick Aybar bobbled the ball costing him a chance at a double play. On the force out at second base, Draper scored to tie the game. Then Gomez smacked a two-run homer into the scoreboard for a 3-1 Wichita lead.
Collazo had a hiccup with two outs in the third inning as Josh Pressley singled to right field and King ripped a hanging curve ball over the left field fence for a two-run homer that gave Wichita a 5-1 lead.
After the Travs went without a hit in the first three innings, Napoli led off the fourth with a home run to left field. Murphy then doubled to right field, stole third base and scored on a two-out single by Mike Eylward to cut the Wichita lead to 5-3.
Once again the Wranglers struck back when Maier tripled with one out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gomez.
The Wranglers mirrored their third inning during the fifth. After two outs, Pressley singled to center King followed with another home run to left field to put the score at 8-3.
Baerlocher walked Napoli with one out in the sixth inning and Morales lined a book rule double to right field to send him to third base. Napoli scampered home on a wild pitch, but the Travs couldn't bring Morales home.
Aldridge capped the opening game with a leadoff homer in the sixth inning off RHP Kevin Lynch in his Class AA debut.
GAME TWO
The Travs jumped in front of RHP Wes Wilkerson (0-1) in the third inning. Reggie Willits sliced a ball down the third base line for a single and Costa bobbled the ball giving Willits second base. Willits stole third and came home on a sacrifice fly hit by Kendrick for a 1-0 Travs lead.
The Wranglers made a pitching change after two outs in the fourth inning removing Wilkerson and bringing LHP Nate Hoelscher in. Hoelscher hit Greg Porter with a pitch and walked David Gates. Ivan Reyes followed with a single to center field to score Porter for a 2-0 lead.
The closest that Wichita came to scoring in the nightcap was in the first inning when Mike Aviles lined a two-out triple to left field, however Olenberger stranded him when Pressley bounced to the mound. No Wrangler made it to third for the rest of the game.
Olenberger allowed a one-out single in the seventh inning and the Travs brought Serrano in for the final two outs.
The first game lasted 1:35 while the second game took 2:07. The paid attendance was 3,365.
The fourth game of this five-game series will be played on Saturday night. The Travs will send LHP Daniel Davidson (9-5, 4.63 ERA) to pitch against RHP Kyle Middleton (9-6, 3.98 ERA). First pitch will be thrown at 7:10 p.m.
Texas League Stories from July 29, 2005
- Cards rally past Drillers - Tulsa Drillers
- Hooks Fall to RoughRiders 4-2 - Corpus Christi Hooks
- 6-Run 9th wins it for Cards! - Springfield Cardinals
- Travs and Wranglers Split A Pair - Arkansas Travelers
- Murray, Karsay and Feldman Combine for Perfect Game - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Wranglers Bash Travs 13-2 - Arkansas Travelers
- Asahina Bests Pals on Thursday - Springfield Cardinals
- Frisco in town, full weekend on top - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Asahina makes quick work of Cards - Tulsa Drillers
- Cards Hit the Road 3.5 Games Back - Springfield Cardinals
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