Drillers edge Cards in 10-inning battle, 4-3

Tulsa, OK - The Tulsa Drillers edged the Springfield Cardinals in a 10-inning, back-and-forth battle, 4-3, before 8,349 fans at ONEOK Field on Sunday night.

Rehabbing St. Louis Cardinals RHP Michael Wacha made the start for Springfield and tossed two-plus scoreless innings, striking out one, walking one and allowing only one infield single. He exited with two on and no outs in the bottom of the third after 34 pitches, 24 of which were strikes. RHP Jason Motte also made a Rehab Appearance, dealing a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth inning on 12 pitches, seven for strikes.

Cardinals RHP Sam Gaviglio relieved Wacha in the bottom of the third and kept it scoreless, before Springfield's sticks got on the board against LHP Jayson Aquino in the top of the fourth. 1B Jonathan Rodriguez led off with a single, followed quickly by a free pass from RF Curt Smith. After a pop out, LF David Popkins worked a walk to load the bases for CF Matt Williams. Williams followed suit with an RBI free pass of his own, forcing in Rodriguez for the game's first run. Gaviglio then chopped an RBI groundout up the middle, enabling Smith to dart in from third to double the new lead to 2-0.

Tulsa (33-36, 70-67) responded in part with one run in the bottom of the fourth. Gaviglio retired the frame's first two outs quickly, but 1B Ryan Casteel kept the inning alive with a walk. RF Tyler Massey then ripped an RBI triple to left-center field, bringing Casteel home all the way from first to cut the Tulsa deficit to 2-1.

Gaviglio kept the Cards (33-36, 67-72) ahead through the fifth and sixth, but Tulsa seized the lead in the bottom of the seventh. With one on and two down, C Chris O'Dowd drove an RBI ground-rule double to left field, sqauring the score at 2-2. Pinch-hitting 3B Jayson Langfels then brought in O'Dowd with an RBI single to center field, swinging the Drillers into the 3-2 lead.

The Cardinals, though, refused to go down easily, battling it back even in the top of the ninth inning. Pinch-hitting RF Ildemaro Vargas started the inning by reaching on an error on 2B Taylor Featherston. After a passed ball moved Vargas to second, he advanced to third on a groundout to second base. One out later, with the Cardinals down to their final out and C Travis Tartamella down to his final strike, the catcher ripped a line drive by 3B Cristhian Adames, smoking an RBI single to left field to bring in Vargas and tie the game, 3-3.

LHP Lee Stoppelman (L, 1-2) navigated the Cardinals through a scoreless bottom of the ninth, but the Drillers dealt the final blow in the bottom of the 10th. CF Delta Cleary, Jr. led off with a double sliced just inside the first base line. Adames then laid down a sacrifice bunt to the left side of the infield. 3B Patrick Wisdom fielded the bunt and tried to get Adames at first base, but the throw bounced away from covering 2B Breyvic Valera. The miscue enabled Cleary, Jr. to race home, with the Drillers walking off with the 4-3 win in 10 innings. LHP Ken Roberts (W, 9-2) tossed the scoreless top of the 10th to log the win for Tulsa.

Click here for the complete box score from Sunday's game.

Thank you, Cardinals Nation!

With the home portion of the 10th Season in the books, the entire Springfield Cardinals Organization says "thank you" to everyone in Cardinals Nation for a 10th great season!

The Cards wrap up the 2014 Regular Season on Monday at 1:05pm. Catch all of the action live on Jock 98.7FM and SpringfieldCardinals.com, and tune in 15 minutes early for the Coyote's Sports Cafe Pregame Show.

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