Tulsa Falls to Arkansas, Keeping Magic Number at 4
TL Tulsa Drillers

Tulsa Falls to Arkansas, Keeping Magic Number at 4

Published on September 10, 2025 under Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release


Tulsa Drillers pitcher Jackson Ferris
Tulsa Drillers pitcher Jackson Ferris
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Rich Crimi)

Tulsa, OK - The Tulsa Drillers missed an opportunity Wednesday afternoon to cut their magic number to three in their quest to clinch a berth in the 2025 Texas League playoffs. Just over 12 hours after gaining a walk-off win over Arkansas in 13 innings, the Drillers fell short in their attempt to claim a second straight victory. The Drillers took an early one-run lead in the contest, but the Travelers answered with four straight runs of their own and eventually posted a 7-4 victory in the final afternoon game of the season at ONEOK Field.

With the defeat, the Drillers lead on second-place in the TL's North Division, and a spot in the league's playoffs, was trimmed to just 1.5 games over Wichita. The Wind Surge will play in Corpus Christi on Wednesday evening.

The Drillers have four games remaining in the regular season, all against Arkansas, and they need a combined total of four wins and/or Wichita losses to qualify for the postseason. The Texas League's regular season will end on Sunday.

In Wednesday's afternoon matchup, Tulsa generated a run in the bottom of the first inning to take an initial lead. Kole Myers, batting in the leadoff spot, beat out an infield single to open the inning. Myers advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw and to third on a ground out, and scored on James Tibbs III's RBI ground out.

It would prove to be Tulsa's only lead of the day as the Travelers generated a run of their own in the top of the second to quickly tie the score at 1-1. Lazaro Montes was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and he advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third with a stolen base. He came home on Hunter Fitz-Gerald's infield grounder that turned into a throwing error by shortstop Sean McLain.

Arkansas broke the tie with an unearned run in the fifth inning. Caleb Cali led off with the Travelers first hit of the game. Tulsa starter Jackson Ferris had Cali picked off, but first baseman Tibbs III's throw to second base was high and into left field. The error kept Cali on the base paths, and he scored on Hogan Windish's one-out single, putting the Travs up 2-1.

Tulsa fell into a deeper hole in the sixth inning when Arkansas upped its lead to 4-1. Reliever Cam Day, making his Double-A debut, walked the first batter he faced and hit the second with a pitch. Day battled to get a ground out and a strikeout to nearly escape the jam, but Freddy Batista delivered a two-out single that brought home two.

The Drillers trimmed the deficit to one run in the bottom half of the sixth. Travs starting pitcher Michael Morales walked the first two batters of the inning, and Yeiner Fernandez followed with a run-scoring single.

Former Tulsa reliever Michael Hobbs replaced Morales and got a strikeout before Griffin Lockwood-Powell provided a sacrifice fly on a deep drive into the left field corner, pulling the Drillers to within 4-3.

Arkansas again delivered a quick response when Colt Emerson doubled against Brandon Neeck to open the top of the seventh inning. Right fielder Zyhir Hope bobbled the ball, allowing Emerson to slide safely into third on the error. Montes singled with one out to bring Emerson home and give the Travelers a two-run lead.

Windish's third home run of the season leading off the ninth upped the margin to three runs before four walks forced home another run for the Travs.

The Drillers did not go down quietly in the bottom half of the ninth. With two outs, McLain was hit with a pitch and he scored when Myers followed with a double into the left field corner. De Paula followed and went down on strikes to end the game.

INSIDE THE GAME

*With his first-inning RBI ground out, Tibbs III has driven in 28 runs in just 32 games with the Drillers.

*The second inning error was a rarity for McLain. This season, he has played 90 previous games at shortstop with over 350 total chances and had committed just 10 errors. McLain's .972 fielding percentage entering the game was tops among all Texas League shortstops.

*In what was likely his final appearance of the regular season, Ferris worked five complete innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits. He held the Travelers without a hit through the first four innings, but he was hampered by three walks and needed a total of 85 pitches to get through the five frames. Ferris will finish the regular season with a 10-7 record and a 3.86 ERA with 135 strikeouts in 126.0 total innings. The lefthander was outstanding in the second half of the year, going 7-2 with a 2.05 ERA.

*The Travelers stole six bases in the game, and Tulsa opponents have stolen 302 bases this season. Only Single-A Salem (307) and Ft. Myers (355), among all 120 full-season clubs in Minor League Baseball, have allowed more steals.

*The Drillers now have a 4-4 record in the month of September.

UP NEXT

The Drillers will continue their regular season-ending series with the Travelers on Thursday night at ONEOK Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:

Arkansas - LHP Adam Seminaris (6-7, 3.04 ERA)

Tulsa - LHP Luke Fox (1-1, 2.48 ERA)

Check out the Tulsa Drillers Statistics

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Images from this story

Tulsa Drillers pitcher Jackson Ferris
Tulsa Drillers pitcher Jackson Ferris
(Rich Crimi)		   



Texas League Stories from September 10, 2025


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