Bats Explode as Drillers Thrash Cardinals 10-2

One night after receiving outstanding pitching performances but being limited offensively, Tulsa put it all together Thursday night. Scott Barlow kept the string of strong starts going for the Drillers, while his teammates unloaded with the bats on their way to a 10-2 victory over the Springfield Cardinals.

Barlow was dominant in the win for Tulsa as the right-hander turned in six shutout innings while tying his season-high with six strikeouts. Meanwhile the Drillers lineup exploded with 14 hits as every starter picked up at least one hit with the exception of rehabbing big leaguer Alex Guerrero.

Cody Bellinger led the way at the plate as the first baseman went a perfect 4-4, finishing a triple shy of the cycle to lead all Tulsa hitters. The Drillers lineup as a whole ended the night with seven doubles, three home runs, four singles and five walks.

Joining Bellinger with multi-hit nights were Willie Calhoun, Alex Verdugo and Kyle Farmer.

Following two scoreless innings to begin the game, Barlow helped ring in the scoring in the third inning as he cracked a one-out double to right field. Calhoun then cashed him in with an opposite field, two-run homer that just curled inside the left field foul pole to put Tulsa up 2-0. The home run was Calhoun's fourth of the year.

After both the Drillers and Cardinals wasted scoring opportunities in the fourth and fifth innings respectively, Tulsa extended its lead in the sixth.

Facing Springfield starter Andrew Morales to lead off the top of the frame, Calhoun began the avalanche of hits with a double. Following a groundout from Guerrero, Verdugo crushed a big fly of his own for the second straight night to put the Drillers in front 4-0.

Bellinger kept the inning going by doubling into the right field corner for his second two-bagger of the night. Jacob Scavuzzo and Drew Maggi followed with run-scoring knocks to up the Tulsa lead to 6-0 before reliever Kevin Herget was called on to put an end to the inning.

The floodgates opened again in the eighth as the Drillers extinguished any distant hopes the Cardinals might have had for a comeback.

A two-run blast from Bellinger and a two-run double from Andrew Toles would inflict the final damage to the Springfield pitching staff ERA for the game, giving Tulsa a commanding 10-0 advantage.

The Cardinals scratched across a run in the eighth and ninth innings against relievers Jordan Schafer and Caleb Dirks, but it would be too little, too late for the home club.

Barlow evened his win-loss record at 2-2 with the victory while lowering his season ERA to 1.93. Morales suffered his fourth loss of the year for Springfield after allowing the six runs over his 5.2 innings of work.

The Drillers will now head to Springdale where they will begin a four game series against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. RHP Brock Stewart (1-1, 1.20 ERA) gets the starting nod for Tulsa in the series opener while Northwest Arkansas will trot out RHP Pedro Fernandez (0-1, 10.13 ERA.) First pitch Friday night is scheduled for 7:05 PM.