Frisco rallies, rides off with Texas League crown
Stymied through seven innings, Double-A Frisco still managed to save the best for last. The RoughRiders rallied from deficits in the eighth and ninth innings before scoring four times in the 10th en route to a 7-5 championship-clinching win over Wichita at Riverfront Stadium. Evan Carter's two-run single in the
Stymied through seven innings, Double-A Frisco still managed to save the best for last.
The RoughRiders rallied from deficits in the eighth and ninth innings before scoring four times in the 10th en route to a 7-5 championship-clinching win over Wichita at Riverfront Stadium.
Evan Carter's two-run single in the 10th proved to be the decisive knock for the Frisco, which completed a two-game sweep of the best-of-3 series to claim its second Texas League title and first since 2004, the franchise's second year of existence.
Trailing by two runs from the opening frame and held to three singles over the first seven innings, the RoughRiders broke through in the eighth with clutch hitting and some good fortune. Kellen Strahm doubled to plate No. 7 Rangers prospect Luisangel Acuna to cut the deficit to one run and took third on a throwing error by Wichita catcher Jair Camargo. The error proved costly when Trevor Hauver evened the score with a sacrifice fly.
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— Frisco RoughRiders (@RidersBaseball) September 28, 2022
FINAL | FRI 7, WCH 5
The Frisco RoughRiders, your 2022 Texas League Champions. #LetsRide 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3aqwA2MDpW
The Wind Surge answered in the bottom half to go up, 3-2, but couldn't tack on any more runs despite loading the bases with one out. The missed opportunity proved costly in the ninth when 20th-ranked Rangers prospect Thomas Saggese lined a two-out single to plate the tying run.
Frainyer Chavez snapped the tie in the 10th and Jonathan Ornelas, Texas' No. 22 prospect, added another to make it 5-3. Carter, baseball's No. 57 prospect, drove in two more with Frisco's third of four hits in the inning.
Jack Leiter got the nod for the RoughRiders but lasted only 1 2/3 innings. Baseball's No. 46 prospect allowed two runs on two hits but walked four. Fellow Top 100 prospect Owen White stabilized things for Frisco, striking out all six batters he faced.
Wichita's Brent Headrick turned in arguably the best performance of his professional career. The 24-year-old equaled a career high with 11 strikeouts, did not issue a walk and retired 19 of the last 20 batters he faced.
The title-clinching win completed a perfect postseason for Frisco, which swept San Antonio in the semifinals before taking Game 1 of the Championship Series, 11-3.
The RoughRiders entered the playoffs as the South Division second-half champs and finished the regular season with a 74-63 record.
Michael Avallone is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @MavalloneMiLB.