Late Grand Slam Takes Down Drillers
TULSA, OK – The Tulsa Drillers fell behind early on Tuesday night but appeared destined for a late comeback against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. After trailing 4-0, Tulsa rallied to tie the game at five runs each in the seventh inning with a two-run homer. Unfortunately for the Drillers, Northwest
TULSA, OK – The Tulsa Drillers fell behind early on Tuesday night but appeared destined for a late comeback against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. After trailing 4-0, Tulsa rallied to tie the game at five runs each in the seventh inning with a two-run homer. Unfortunately for the Drillers, Northwest Arkansas answered with a grand slam in the eighth inning to defeat Tulsa 9-5 in the opening game of a six-game series at ONEOK Field.
The loss dropped the Drillers home record to 1-6.
The game began with Tulsa pitcher Justin Wrobleski issuing a leadoff walk, and just two batters later, that walk returned to haunt him. Rodolfo Duran drove in the runner for the game’s first run with a double. A single from Gavin Cross followed, and Dillan Shrum added to the Naturals lead with a three-run homer that quickly made it 4-0.
Tulsa answered with two runs in the second inning and a run in the third. In the second, Brandon Lewis belted his second home run of the season, and Taylor Young singled to score Austin Gauthier. Austin Beck followed with a solo home run in the third inning to bring the score to 4-3.
Northwest Arkansas added a fifth run in the fifth inning on Peyton Wilson’s sacrifice fly.
Tulsa continued to fight in the seventh inning. With a runner at first base, Gauthier blasted a game-tying home run into the Drillers bullpen in rightfield.
One inning later, the Drillers hopes were quickly dashed. Ryan Sublette entered the game and issued two walks and hit a batter to load the bases. Luca Tresh took advantage of the situation by belting a go-ahead grand slam that gave the Naturals the final lead of the night.
INSIDE THE GAME
*The walk to lead off the game was the only one surrendered by Wrobleski, but he was tagged for five runs on six hits. The former Oklahoma State pitcher also struck out four hitters.
*Tulsa out hit the Naturals nine to eight.
*Gauthier earned three hits and increased his on-base streak to 15 straight games.
*The two teams combined for just five walks and seven runners left on base. Three of the Drillers four runner left on base were stranded in the first inning.
*Former Driller Leonel Valera made the start for the Naturals at shortstop. He finished with a hit and a run scored. The Venezuelan native played 88 games with Tulsa in 2022.
*Sauryn Lao, Jack Dreyer and Antonio Knowles each had scoreless outings out of the Tulsa bullpen. Lao tossed 1.2 innings and struck out three batters. Dreyer finished with a perfect inning with two punch outs and Knowles worked a perfect ninth.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and Naturals will quickly return to action, playing the second game of their six-game series at 12:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at ONEOK Field. The starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
NWA - RHP Mason Barnett (1-0, 2.35 ERA)
TUL- RHP Ben Casparius (0-1, 4.35 ERA)