Two Big Innings Sink Drillers
April 15, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Tulsa Drillers News Release
For the second straight night, a sellout crowd of over 8,000 fans packed ONEOK Field to cheer on the Drillers in their opening homestand. And they had plenty to cheer about to begin the game as the Drillers went up early. But the Corpus Christi Hooks scored nine runs during the fifth and sixth innings while a pair of former Oklahoma State University hurlers made sure that lead stuck as the Hooks downed the Drillers 9-4.
After facing Hooks starter David Paulino last week and being shut out over his five innings of work, the Drillers wasted no time establishing an early lead Friday night.
Following a 1-2-3 top half of the first inning, Devan Ahart led off the home half of the first against the Houston Astros #7 overall prospect with a double down the left field line. Two batters later, the Drillers were on the board as Kyle Farmer brought him home with a double of his own. Alex Verdugo kept the runs coming as he dropped an RBI single into center to give Tulsa a quick 2-0 lead.
The second inning delivered more of the same for the Drillers as Yadir Drake led off the frame with a walk before swiping second for his first stolen base of the season. That would prove key as Drew Maggi plated him with an RBI double to extend the Drillers advantage to 3-0.
Things would hold there as Paulino and Tulsa starter Felipe Gonzalez traded zeroes over the third and fourth innings before things began to unravel in the fifth.
After breezing through the first four frames, the tide turned quickly for Gonzalez. Jack Mayfield led off with a double which was followed by a long, two-run homer off the bat of Ronnie Mitchell. A single and a double kept the inning going before Gonzalez looked like he would get out of the inning, inducing two straight ground outs to hold the runners at second and third, but back-to-back wild pitches scored both runners and put Corpus Christi on top 4-3.
Seth Frankoff came on for the sixth inning but could not slow down the Hooks bats. Two singles, an error and a walk brought one run before Alex Bregman stepped up to the plate. Bregman, who is the Astros top prospect after being drafted second overall in the 2015 MLB Draft, struck the big blow as he launched a grand slam over the left field fence to put the Hooks firmly in front 9-3.
Tulsa responded with a run in the bottom half of the sixth on a Jacob Scavuzzo double and an eventual sacrifice fly off the bat of Tyler Ogle, but that would be all the Drillers could muster.
Broken Arrow native and former Oklahoma State University hurler Michael Freeman earned the win for the Hooks with three innings of relief. The 6'8" southpaw was called in on short notice when Hooks reliever Kyle Smith was knocked out of the game after taking a line drive off his ribs to start the fifth inning. But Freeman delivered as he gave up just the one run in the sixth inning while bridging the gap to another familiar name.
Picking up where Freeman left off was fellow OSU Cowboy alum Brendan McCurry who finished out the game with two innings of scoreless relief.
The Drillers and Hooks will wrap up their three-game series at ONEOK Field Saturday night with the first 1,000 kids aged 14 and under receiving a Hornsby Build-A-Bear. Getting the start on the mound for Tulsa will be Scott Barlow (0-1, 0.00 ERA) while Corpus will counter with RHP Francis Martes (1-0, 0.00 ERA.) First pitch is scheduled for 7:05PM.
Texas League Stories from April 15, 2016
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- Hooks Spoil ONEOK Field Opener - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Johnson Reaches Base Five Time in 9-3 Loss - Arkansas Travelers
- Six-Run Sixth Inning Propels Riders to Opening Night Win - Frisco RoughRiders
- Missions Claim Win in Cardinals Home Opener on Thursday - Springfield Cardinals
- Drillers Drop Opener Before Record Crowd - Tulsa Drillers
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