Travs End Skid, Win 4-2
Published on April 29, 2008 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock, Arkansas - Ben Johnson went 3-for-4 for the second consecutive day to lift the Travs to a 4-2 win over the Drillers. Johnson, forced to play first base due to Michael Collins' bout with food poisoning, hit a two-run homer in the first to give the home team a 2-0 lead. Over the last three games, Johnson is 8-for-14 with six RBI. Starting pitcher Bobby Mosebach (3-1) went seven strong innings for his third win of the year to lead the team.
Mosebach who pitched a complete game his last outing at Dickey-Stephens, was roughed up on the road in Tulsa last week. This time he was up to the task, going seven innings, allowing six hits and striking out six against two walks. Mosebach only pitched two 1-2-3 innings but was able to limit the damage and stranded nine runners in his seven innings.
Coby Smith was the first Arkansas batter of the game and greeted Tomas Santiago (1-1) with a first-pitch bunt single. After Hainley Statia flew out, Ben Johnson stepped in and crushed a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall. Corey Smith would follow Johnson with a double but was stranded at second.
Santiago went six innings only giving up two runs on five hits but was the hard luck loser as the Drillers couldn't push enough runs across to support him. He struck out two and only allowed two walks.
The Travelers only got three men on base from the second inning to the sixth but in the seventh, they pushed across some insurance. Reliever Edward Valdez came on to pitch the seventh and was met by a double by Jordan Czarniecki who went 2-for-2 with two doubles on the night. Czarniecki came around to score on Tim Duff's RBI single. Duff would score on Coby Smith's sac fly to center field, pushing the score 4-0. Duff went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, pushing his average to .256, up from .231. It was Duff's second consecutive 2-for-4 day.
The two runs added in the seventh proved to be the difference as the Drillers would close the gap in the eighth. Kevin Jepsen came in to relieve Mosebach and had only allowed two earned runs all season coming in. He would equal that tonight as he gave up two runs on four hits in the final two innings. A two RBI single by Jeff Dragicevich cut the score to 4-2 and brought the tying run to the plate. Jepsen struck out Brian Esposito on three pitches to end the inning. Jepsen stayed in to pitch the ninth and allowed two singles but again struck out the final batter to end the game.
Both teams totaled 10 hits in the game but struggled to get runners home once they got on. Arkansas stranded eight men on the night while Tulsa stranded 12.
Matt Miller collected four of the 10 hits for the Drillers going 4-for-5 with four singles. His average now stands at a very impressive .358 for the year.
The win ended the Travelers six-game losing streak and kept the home win streak alive at five games.
Attendance was 6,232 and time of game was 2:34.
The Travs will go for their 10th win of the season at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow, sending RHP Dan Denham (1-2, 0.60 ERA) against RHP Alan Johnson (0-3, 6.43 ERA). Gates open at 10:00.
Texas League Stories from April 29, 2008
- Guzman HR Sinks Hooks - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Travs End Skid, Win 4-2 - Arkansas Travelers
- Drillers Drop 5th Straight - Tulsa Drillers
- Six Straight for Cards; Home Wednesday at 12:10pm - Springfield Cardinals
- Naturals Finish Sweep Of Travs In 6-5 Comeback - Arkansas Travelers
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