Early runs power Riders in Arkansas
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (June 24, 2022) – The Frisco RoughRiders scored six of their seven runs in the first three innings, as they took down the Arkansas Travelers 7-4 at Dickey Stephens Park Friday night. Catcher David Garcia led the Riders with four runs driven in behind his first
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (June 24, 2022) – The Frisco RoughRiders scored six of their seven runs in the first three innings, as they took down the Arkansas Travelers 7-4 at Dickey Stephens Park Friday night. Catcher David Garcia led the Riders with four runs driven in behind his first triple of the season. Center fielder Josh Stowers finished with a pair of run-scoring hits and hit his seventh double of the year.
Stowers is 5-for-11 in the Arkansas series, including his 3-for-5 night on Tuesday with a double and a go-ahead, three-run homer in extra innings.
RoughRiders starter Jack Leiter struck out four batters in his four-inning start. After giving up two runs on one hit in the first inning, Leiter limited Arkansas to no runs in his final three frames. Reliever Josh Smith (1-0) struck a batter in his only inning of relief for Leiter to pick up his first Double-A win.
Travelers starter Connor Jones (4-5) surrendered the six Frisco runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings with three walks allowed. The Riders plated six of their seven runs Friday night in the first three innings offensively against Jones to give them an early start.
Arkansas started the scoring with two early runs on Leiter as first baseman Jake Scheiner plated two on his second double of the series to give the Travs the 2-0 lead.
After a scoreless first inning, the Riders tied Friday’s game in the second with two runs on three hits from the bottom of the order. Garcia plated the first Frisco run of the night on an RBI single, which was followed by an RBI double from Stowers to make the score 2-2.
The RoughRiders took their first lead in the following third inning with four runs on four hits against Jones. With the bases loaded, Garcia cleared the pads with his first triple of the season and the third of his career to move Frisco ahead, 5-2. Stowers did more damage in the following at-bat, scoring his sixth run of the series and plating Garcia from third with the fourth hit of the inning to give Frisco a 6-2 lead.
In Smith’s lone inning relieving Leiter, Arkansas got two runs back on a two-run home run from designated hitter Jack Larsen, his fifth of the year, to cut the Riders lead to 6-4. Frisco promptly answered in their following trip to the plate with a Justin Foscue RBI double, scoring Blaine Crim from first and finalizing Friday’s score, 7-4. Foscue now has a double in his last two games and has posted four in his last five games.
Reliever Fer Ozuna shut down Arkansas in the ninth for his seventh save of the season, picking up a strikeout and giving Frisco their sixth win in their last eight games.
The RoughRiders look for their first series win since May 1st on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. against the Arkansas Travelers. Rangers 2018 second rounder Owen White (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his Double-A debut for the RoughRiders against Arkansas RHP Stephen Kolek (4-5, 4.46 ERA).
The Riders return to Frisco to conclude the month of June and usher in July with a six-game series against the Corpus Christi Hooks on June 28th. A promotional schedule includes Texas Baseball Legends on Wednesday, June 29th as Rangers legend Mark McLemore will be on hand for a meet and greet!
Thursday, June 30th is Singles Night as Ivan Hall from Season 16 of the Bachelorette is on hand for Thirsty Thursday, as well as another Blue Norther Hard Seltzer Rowdy @ The River.
Frisco welcomes in Stars & Stripes Weekend, beginning with Fireworks Friday, presented by Raising Cane’s, and Sky-Lit Saturday! Then on Sunday, show up early for an American flag giveaway! Fans can stick around postgame for the Independence Day Fireworks Show on July 3rd, the biggest fireworks show of the year!
For tickets and more information about the Frisco RoughRiders, visit RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance for 15 consecutive seasons (2005-2019). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 170 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].