Drillers Drop First-Half Finale
SPRINGDALE, AR – A tough week for the Tulsa Drillers came to a disappointing end Sunday afternoon at Northwest Arkansas. The Drillers closed out the first half of the season with their fourth straight loss as the Naturals broke a tie game with a run in the bottom of the
SPRINGDALE, AR – A tough week for the Tulsa Drillers came to a disappointing end Sunday afternoon at Northwest Arkansas. The Drillers closed out the first half of the season with their fourth straight loss as the Naturals broke a tie game with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to claim a 6-5 win at Arvest Ballpark.
After winning the first two games of the six-game series with the Naturals to stay in the first-half, division title race, the Drillers dropped the final four games. Three of the four losses were by one run and two were walk-off defeats as the Naturals twice scored in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Drillers.
Sunday’s loss was particularly disappointing as the both teams entered the finale with identical 34-34 records. With the win, the Naturals secured a winning record in the half while the Drillers finished with a 34-35 mark and fell to fourth place in the final division standings.
Griffin Lockwood-Powell got the Drillers off to a good start on Sunday with his eighth home run of the season in the second inning.
The 1-0 lead held until the bottom of the third when the Naturals scored three times to go in front. Former Drillers infielder Leonel Valera tied the score with a solo homer. Northwest Arkansas executed a successful double steal to go in front before Gavin Cross capped the big inning with a run-scoring single that made it 3-1.
Cross singled home another run in the fifth before a pair of doubles from Damon Keith and Brendon Davis gave the Drillers their second run and cut their deficit to 4-2.
The Naturals again upped the margin to three runs before the Drillers rallied to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Taylor Young tripled home two runs and then scored himself on a balk to make it 5-5.
It stayed tied until the bottom of the ninth. The Drillers lost Saturday night’s game after walking ten batters, but had walked just one entering the ninth. The total quickly increased to three when the first two batters of the inning drew free passes. After a successful sacrifice bunt, Cross swung at the first pitch he saw and lofted a sacrifice fly into center field as Valera slid home safely ahead of the throw from Jose Ramos.
INSIDE THE GAME
*Cross was hitless in the series before going 3-4 with three runs batted in on Sunday. Valera finished with two hits.
*Yeiner Fernandez accounted for one-third of the Drillers nine hits in the game, matching Cross by finishing 3-4 with a double and two singles.
*Tulsa starting pitcher Orlando Ortiz-Mayr worked the first five innings and was charged with four runs on seven hits.
*Reliever Logan Boyer worked two scoreless innings, striking out three. Since May 1, Boyer has allowed just two earned runs in 17.0 IP for a 1.06 ERA during the stretch.
*For the second time in the series, Ben Harris suffered the loss in a walk-off win for the Naturals.
*The North Division first-half title will be decided on Sunday night with Springfield’s game at Corpus Christi. Arkansas had a chance to clinch the title on Sunday afternoon with a victory over Wichita but fell 3-2 to the Wind Surge. If the Cardinals beat the Hooks, they win the first half. If the Cards lose, the Travelers claim the title.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers will open the second half of the season on Tuesday night at ONEOK Field with the opening game of a six-game series with Amarillo. Starting time for the opener is slated for 7:00 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
AMA – TBA
TUL – RHP Kendall Williams (3-6, 6.87 ERA)