Frisco’s power surge lifts Riders over Drillers, 5-4

FRISCO, Texas (July 24, 2024) – The Frisco RoughRiders defeated the Tulsa Drillers 5-4 on Wednesday evening from Riders Field.

Box Score

Frisco (14-9, 58-34) jumped ahead of Tulsa (12-10, 46-45) in the top of the first inning, notching four hits against Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (4-6). Josh Hatcher gave the Riders the lead with an RBI single that plated Liam Hicks to open the scoring.

Tulsa was able to tie the game against Dane Acker (4-4) in the top of the fourth inning when the Dodgers top prospect Dalton Rushing left the yard to leadoff the frame.

Scott Kapers gave the Riders the lead right back in the home half of the fourth inning, delivering a two-run jack to left that plated Geisel Cepeda to make it a 3-1 game.

Acker exited after 5.0 one-run frames, allowing just two hits and two walks while fanning five.

Cody Freeman extended the RoughRiders lead with a solo homer to left in the bottom of fifth inning before Abimelec Ortiz launched a towering 410-foot homer to right to make it a 5-1 advantage for Frisco. The homers marked the second straight night that the Riders have belted back-to-back long balls.

Reid Birlingmair entered in the top of the sixth, allowing a run on an RBI single by Griffin Lockwood-Powell. He finished after 1.1 innings, surrendering just the one run on three hits before handing the reins to Robby Ahlstrom. The lefty delivered 1.2 scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts.

In the top of the ninth inning, the Drillers loaded the bases against Tyler Owens. Alex Freeland brought Tulsa within a run with a two-run single to center. Following an error, Owens struck out Rushing for the second out before inducing a groundout to seal the 5-4 win for Frisco.

Offensively, the RoughRiders matched their season high of three homers for the second straight night. Ortiz notched the lone multi-hit performance as every hitter in the Frisco lineup collected a hit. Kapers led the charge with two RBI.

The RoughRiders continue a six-game homestand against the Tulsa Drillers (Los Angeles Dodgers) at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, July 25th. The Riders will turn to RHP Ryan Garcia (7-4, 4.11) against RHP Jerming Rosario (2-1, 3.46) for the Drillers.

Start your weekend early at Riders Field! Enjoy Thirsty Thursday with half-price Coors Light, Shiner Light Blonde, Truly and Big Stick Blonde 16oz cans through the 7th inning. Prefer to catch the game from the Lazy River? Purchase a Twisted Tea Rowdy @ The River ticket (21+ only) and grab $2 Twisted Tea, Truly and Miller Lite cans until 8:00 p.m. in the Lazy River.

Ticket offer: Grab a seating bowl ticket with $6 in loaded value for your first Thirsty Thursday drink here.

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].