Big 7-Run Inning Fuels Drillers Win
TULSA, OK – One night after surrendering an eight-run inning that led to a loss against Northwest Arkansas, the Tulsa Drillers used a big inning of their own Saturday night to turn the tables on the Naturals. The Drillers scored seven times in the third inning and never trailed in
TULSA, OK – One night after surrendering an eight-run inning that led to a loss against Northwest Arkansas, the Tulsa Drillers used a big inning of their own Saturday night to turn the tables on the Naturals. The Drillers scored seven times in the third inning and never trailed in a 9-4 victory. The win snapped a three-game losing streak.
The victory, combined with a Wichita loss at Arkansas, moved the Drillers back to within 1½ games of the first-place Wind Surge.
Tulsa’s big third inning opened the game’s scoring. Brandon Lewis led off with a base hit, and Jeren Kendall followed with his third home run of the year to give the Drillers the lead.
James Outman and Jacob Amaya followed the homer with consecutive singles. After the first out of the inning, Andy Pages and Ryan Ward had back-to-back run-scoring hits to up the lead to 4-0. Pages and Ward both came home on a two-out double by Justin Yurchak, and on the next pitch, Lewis capped the big inning with his second hit of the frame, giving the Drillers a 7-0 lead.
The Naturals cut into the margin with a four-run fifth. Logan Porter singled in the first run, and John Rave followed with a three-run homer.
The Drillers responded with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, the run came on three straight, two-out hits from Carson Taylor, Yurchak and Lewis.
Jacob Amaya, Leonel Valera and Pages delivered three consecutive singles to produce the sixth-inning run.
The big inning helped to make reliever Alec Gamboa Tulsa’s first five-game winner of the season. Gamboa took over for starter Clayton Beeter to open the third inning, and worked two scoreless frames before giving up the four runs in the fifth. He was credited with the win and improved his record to a perfect 5-0.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*Pitcher Clayton Beeter made his tenth start of the season for Tulsa, and he struggled to escape the first inning. After retiring the game’s leadoff batter, Beeter issued three straight walks to load the bases. The Texas Tech product recovered and struck out the next two batters to end the inning. He allowed a pair of singles in a scoreless second inning before departing the game.
*Aaron Ochsenbein followed Gamboa to the mound and retired all six batters he faced sixth and seventh innings. Ochsenbein has not allowed a baserunner in 9 of his 12 appearances this season.
* The Drillers totaled 15 hits in the victory, led by a three-hit game from Lewis. Amaya, Pages, Taylor and Yurchak had two hits each.
*After stealing a combined ten bases in their three straight wins over the Drillers, the Naturals were held without a stolen base.
*Taylor increased his on-base streak to 13 consecutive games.
*Valera entered the game in the top of the fourth inning, replacing Devin Mann at second base and finished 1-3 at the plate. He has now recorded a hit in each of his seven games with the Drillers.
*Gus Varland worked a scoreless ninth inning to close the game for Tulsa. It was his third straight scoreless outing.
*Three Northwest Arkansas pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts in the game, while not surrendering a walk.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers will conclude their six-game series with the Naturals on Sunday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Tulsa will need a victory in the finale to avoid its first losing series at ONEOK Field this year. The pitching matchup is slated to be:
NW Arkansas – RHP Noah Murdock (0-1, 7.20 ERA)
Tulsa – RHP Gavin Stone (2-1, 0.41 ERA)