Travs Return To Texas League Championship Series

Arkansas vanquishes Springfield for North Division Crown

The Travelers raced to hug Danny Wirchansky after he recorded the final out. (PJ Maigi)

September 21, 2024

Box Score Springfield, MO—Victor Labrada homered twice and Cole Young went deep as well among three extra base hits and the Arkansas Travelers punched their ticket to the Texas League Championship Series with a 6-5 win over the Springfield Cardinals. The Travelers saw a five-run lead disappear when the Cardinals

Box Score

Springfield, MO—Victor Labrada homered twice and Cole Young went deep as well among three extra base hits and the Arkansas Travelers punched their ticket to the Texas League Championship Series with a 6-5 win over the Springfield Cardinals. The Travelers saw a five-run lead disappear when the Cardinals scored five times in the fifth but Labrada hammered the go-ahead home run in the very next inning. Luis Curvelo (2 IP) and Danny Wirchansky (Sv, 2 IP) closed it out from there keeping Springfield off the board. Logan Evans tossed three scoreless innings to start as Arkansas built the early lead. Young’s three hits led a 14 hit attack with four other Travs posting multi-hit contests.

Moments That Mattered

* Young homered to dead center field putting Arkansas on top in the opening inning. Labrada added a two-run blast an inning later.

* Moments after Springfield had tied the game in the fifth inning, Labrada snatched the momentum and lead back for Arkansas with a 425 foot blast to right field.

* Wirchansky closed the game by getting a double play ball to end the eighth and then worked around a one out single in the ninth striking out the final hitter of the game.

Notable Travs Performances

* SS Cole Young: 3-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI

* DH Victor Labrada: 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI

* RHP Logan Evans: 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K

* RHP Luis Curvelo: 2 IP, BB, K

* LHP Danny Wirchansky: Sv, 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K

News and Notes

* Arkansas beat Springfield for the North Division crown for the second consecutive season.

* The Travs return to the Texas League Championship Series seeking their seventh league title and first since 2008.

Up Next

The best-of-three Championship Series gets underway on Sunday as the Travelers take on the Midland RockHounds. First pitch from Midland, TX is at 5:00 and the game will be broadcast on 106.7 Buz2, the Bally Live App, milb.tv and mlb.tv. Game two and if necessary, game three, will be at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.