North Little Rock, AR-The Arkansas Travelers clinched their first home series win of 2017 with a 5-4 win over the Frisco RoughRiders on Saturday night in front of 6,765 at Dickey-Stephens Park. Tyler Marlette was the offensive hero for Arkansas with the first multi-homer game of the season for the
North Little Rock, AR-The Arkansas Travelers clinched their first home series win of 2017 with a 5-4 win over the Frisco RoughRiders on Saturday night in front of 6,765 at Dickey-Stephens Park.
Tyler Marlette was the offensive hero for Arkansas with the first multi-homer game of the season for the Travs. Marlette blasted a 2-run shot in the first inning and a solo bomb in the fourth both off Frisco starter Yohander Méndez as the Travs built a 4-1 lead.
The RoughRiders tied the game with a three-run seventh inning. Scott Heineman laced a two-run triple followed by a tying single from Isiah Kiner-Falefa to even the score. But Arkansas had the answer in the bottom of the inning.
With one out, Jeff Kobernus singled to center and promptly stole second base. He then advanced to third on Joey Wong's groundout bringing the league's leading hitter Chuck Taylor to the plate with two out to face sidearm lefty Adam Loewen. Taylor hit a chopper up the middle eluding the second baseman Kiner-Falefa and scoring Kobernus for the lead. It was Taylor's third hit of the night and raised his league leading batting average to .361.
Tyler Knigge and Peter Tago combined for a scoreless eighth inning before Tago worked a perfect ninth with two strikeouts to end it. Knigge (1-1) picked up the win with Tago earning his third save. Mendez pitched into the seventh for Frisco but took the loss to fall to 2-3.
Arkansas goes for the sweep Sunday afternoon with right-hander Dylan Unsworth (2-4, 5.05) on the mound against Rider righty Collin Wiles (4-1, 3.13). It is a Family Sunday and an Operation: Military Appreciation Sunday at Dickey-Stephens Park. There is a free kids' clinic beginning at 12:15 and the first 1,000 fans through the gates receive a 2017 Travelers team card set. First pitch is set for 2:10. The game will also be broadcast on the Sports Animal 920, the First Pitch App, TuneIn radio and milb.tv.
