OKC Scores Four Runs in Eighth Inning in Second Straight Win

Oklahoma City Baseball Club – 6

Sacramento River Cats – 4

Sunday, May 19, 2024 – Sutter Health Park – West Sacramento, Calif.

Game Summary: The Oklahoma City Baseball Club scored four runs in the eighth inning to take the lead in a 6-4 comeback win against the Sacramento River Cats Sunday afternoon at Sutter Health Park in the series finale between the teams. Trailing, 4-2, entering the eighth inning, Oklahoma City strung together six straight hits. A two-run single by Chris Owings, who hit a line drive into center field, tied the score, 4-4. Jonathan Araúz then gave Oklahoma City the lead, hitting a grounder up the middle for a RBI single. Drew Avans followed with another RBI single for OKC for a 6-4 advantage. Oklahoma City (25-20) closed the game with five answered runs to overcome a three-run deficit. Sacramento (26-19) had built a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning on a RBI double by Brett Auerbach and a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. In the seventh inning, OKC’s Avans hit a sacrifice fly to trim the Sacramento lead to 4-2 before OKC put together a four-run eighth inning. The River Cats had built a 2-0 lead in the first inning and Oklahoma City scored its first run of the day via a RBI double by Andre Lipcius in the fifth inning.

Of Note:

-Oklahoma City closed out its 12-game road trip with back-to-back wins after opening the six-game series in Sacramento with four consecutive losses. OKC last won back-to-back games May 8-9 in Sugar Land and finished its longest road trip of the season 5-7.

-Andre Lipcius hit a RBI double in the fifth inning for OKC’s first run of the day Sunday as Lipcius recorded a second straight multi-hit game and has now hit safely in four straight games, going 8-for-17 with three doubles, two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored. He has now hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, batting 16-for-40 (.400) with nine extra-base hits, 10 RBI and 11 runs scored. He has also reached base in a season-best 10 straight games…Lipcius leads the PCL in total bases (103), ranks tied for second with 12 homers, ranks fourth in hits (54) and SLG (.628) and tied for fourth with 23 extra-base hits.

-Oklahoma City scored a combined 11 runs in the final two games of the series in Sacramento after scoring a total of three runs over the first four games of the series…Oklahoma City recorded 12 hits Sunday for the team’s highest total since May 10 in Sugar Land. OKC had been held to seven hits or less in each of the previous seven games before Sunday.

-Sunday’s win marked the seventh game during OKC’s 12-game road trip that a final score was decided by two runs or less and Sunday was OKC’s third win in those close games.

-Four Oklahoma City players finished with multi-hit games with Andre Lipcius, Kody Hoese, Chris Owings and Jonathan Araúz finishing with two hits each. Owings and Drew Avans each notched a game-high two RBI.

-Oklahoma City improved to 6-2 in series finales this season with wins in six of the last seven series finales and now in three straight.

-Oklahoma City and Sacramento played their final scheduled meeting of the 2024 season Sunday. The River Cats won the current six-game series, 4-2, and won the season series, 8-4, for their first season series win against OKC since 2021.

Next Up: Oklahoma City opens a six-game home series against the Reno Aces at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The series opens with Bark in the Park presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and also on a $2 Tuesday. Dogs are welcome to attend Tuesday’s game with their owners, who will need to fill out and turn in a waiver form at the gate for their dog to be admitted. The first 300 dogs receive an OKC-branded bandana. The series opener also falls on a $2 Tuesday as guests can enjoy $2 select beer, soda and bottled water from a line of Miller, Coors and Pepsi products. Additionally, select COOP Ale Works and Modelo draft beer will be available at a special rate of $3 for guests age 21 and older.

Single-game tickets for OKC games through June are available now at okcbaseball.com/tickets. Live radio coverage of each OKC Baseball Club game begins 15 minutes before first pitch on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com and through the free iHeartRadio or MiLB First Pitch apps.