Five-run ninth powers Springfield over Frisco, 12-8

FRISCO, Texas (August 18, 2024) – The Frisco RoughRiders were defeated by the Springfield Cardinals 12-8 on Sunday evening from Riders Field.

Box Score

Springfield (28-17, 65-49) started the scoring in the top of the first inning against Emiliano Teodo, using back-to-back doubles from Bryan Torres and Nathan Church

Frisco (24-21, 68-46) evened the score in the bottom of the first when Abimelec Ortiz singled home Alejandro Osuna, tying the game at 1-1.

In the bottom of the second, Aaron Zavala and Keyber Rodriguez each singled before scoring on a two-run double by Cooper Johnson that made it a 3-1 advantage for Frisco.

After allowing a run in the first, Teodo did not allow another hit. The righty finished after 4.0 innings of one-run ball, surrendering just two hits and four walks while striking out five.

Springfield erupted in the top of the fifth inning against a rehabbing Jacob Latz. The lefty induced a flyout before allowing five straight batters to reach before Skylar Hales took over on the mound. Latz finished after recording one out and was charged with five runs. The Cardinals manufactured six runs on seven consecutive hits after sending 11 to the plate, taking a 7-3 lead.

The Riders added a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run single by Zavala, plating Maximo Acosta and to bring the Frisco deficit to 7-5.

Acosta belted a two-run, game-tying homer to left in the bottom of the seventh against Leonardo Taveras.

Nick Krauth, who had tossed three scoreless frames, stayed on the hill for the top of the ninth. A leadoff walk and back-to-back singles with the latter being from Torres gave Springfield an 8-7 lead and chased Krauth from the game. Damian Mendoza allowed a three-run double to Jimmy Crooks. Crooks later scored on a wild pitch to make it a 12-7 game.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Tucker Mitchell scored from second on an RBI single by Ortiz, but the Riders' threat fell short as Springfield took the series finale 12-8.

Offensively, the Riders were paced by a three-hit night from Ortiz as Osuna, Acosta and Zavala each tallied two hits.

The RoughRiders open a six-game set against the San Antonio Missions (San Diego Padres) at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday, August 20th. The week features Thirsty Thursday, Classic TV Night, Baseball in Paradise and Touch-A-Truck Night.

For tickets and more information about the Frisco RoughRiders, visit RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.

About the RoughRiders

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the 2022 Texas League champions. In 2023, the team celebrated its 20th anniversary and has consistently finished in the top five among all Double-A franchises in attendance yearly. In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, Bullpen Bar, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 200 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball including current Rangers Josh Jung, Evan Carter and Leody Taveras. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].