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Drillers Homer Past Cards 13-8

July 19, 2011
Springfield, MO - Back at Hammons Field for a short four game homestand, the heat and wind blowing out to left field played a big role as the Springfield Cardinals took on the Tulsa Drillers in game one of their series.

A pair of righties battled it out on the mound tonight. Scott Schneider would step to the rubber to start off the night for the Cardinals. Schneider walked into the game with a 5.42 ERA and looked to improve his record. He would face Josh Sullivan, a righty from Little Rock, Arkansas with a 6.45 ERA who had struggled against the Cardinals this season.

The Drillers would be the first to cross the plate for the night in the 2nd inning. It all started with a single to left from Wilin Rosario who then advanced to third on a soft ground ball from Scott Beerer to third baseman Zack Cox. That brought Hector Gomez to the plate with one out and one on. Gomez went after the first pitch and nailed a two-run homer over the left field wall to give Tulsa a 2-0 lead.

Tulsa picked up right where they left going into the top of the third as Tommy Field started the inning with a double to center to put himself in scoring position for Ben Paulsen. A groundout to second and a walk to Darin Holcomb from Schneider placed runners at the corners for Wilin Rosario. A line drive single to left from Rosario scored Field and moved runners to first and second with one out. After a Scott Beerer single loaded the bases for Gomez. With one ball and two strikes, Gomez nailed his second homerun of the night, a grand slam to left, to give Tulsa a 7-0 lead over the Cardinals.

That would be the end of the game for Scott Schneider after two and a third innings giving up seven runs on seven hits with two walks and one strike out. Daniel Calhoun stepped in out of the Cardinals bullpen and would face Brian Rike with one out and nobody on. The third homerun of the game came from Rike on a 2-0 count to put the score at 8-0. Calhoun would settle in and strike out pitcher Josh Sullivan, but would find himself back in a jam as the fourth homerun of the game, and third of the inning, came from lead-off batter Tim Wheeler, his league leading 27th, for a 9-0 lead before ending the top of the third.

Springfield would post their first run in the bottom of the third with a solo homerun from Daryl Jones to left field to put the Birds within eight, 9-1 Tulsa. They would carry that momentum into the fourth with a solo homer from Matt Adams, his 21st, to right field on top of the training facility to make it 9-2. Alex Castellanos was issued a walk which was followed by a single from Cox to place runners in scoring position for Charlie Cutler. The second walk of the inning came from Sullivan to Cutler to load the bases for Jose Garcia with no outs. Garcia grounded into a double play as Castellanos crossed the plate and Cox advanced to third to put Springfield within six, 9-3. Jones continued on the night with an RBI single to give the Birds their fourth run of the night bringing the score to 9-4.

In the 4th, Shane Robinson led off with a walk and Ryan Jackson followed with a two run RBI homer over the left field wall closing the deficit to 9-6 going into the top of the sixth.

In the top of the sixth the Drillers were back at it on offense with a two out single from Rosario, his fourth hit of the night. An error on first baseman Matt Adams placed runners at first and second. Calhoun would leave the game after 3.1 inning of relief and Kevin Thomas stepped in out of the bullpen for Springfield to face righty Hector Gomez . Gomez would lace an RBI single to center to put Tulsa back ahead by four, 10-6. An intentional walk to Rike would load the bases for relief pitcher Joey Williamson. Thomas walked Williamson, bringing in the eleventh run of the game across making it 11-6.

The Birds responded in the sixth with two back-to-back singles from Garcia and Jones to place runners at first and second with no outs. Chris Swauger stepped in to pinch hit for Kevin Thomas. A routine double-play moved Garcia to third as we headed to the top of the line-up. Shane Robinson was hit by a pitch, placing runners at the corners for Jackson. He would deliver with a two-out RBI single bringing the tally to 11-7.

David Kopp came in the top of the seventh and threw two scoreless innings before Jorge Rondon stepped to the mound to pitch in the ninth. A one out walk to Tim Wheeler and a hit by pitch to Tommy Field put two runners on. They would move to second and third on a ground out from Ben Paulsen. Back-to-back wild pitches from Rondon plated Wheeler and Field to give the Drillers a 13-7 lead.

Alex Castellanos kept the Cardinals alive in the bottom of the ninth with a one out double to left and eventually score on Charlie Cutler's RBI double to put the score at 13-8, but it wouldn't be enough as Garcia grounded out to second to end the game with the Drillers victorious in game one of the series.

Springfield will continue their four-game series with the Drillers Tuesday night at 7:07pm. The Cardinals will send right hander Michael Blazek to the mound against righty Dan Houston for Tulsa.

Tuesday polishes off the homestand against Midland and the Cardinals will have KRAFT Singles Tuesday Night Tickets where if you Buy 1 Ticket you Get 1 Free from KRAFT Singles with purchase. Bring your package wrapper to a Springfield Cardinals Game on Tuesdays for a steal of a deal! Visit kraftsingles.com for more info! Some exclusions apply. Also, KRAFT Singles would like your opinion on our Buy One Ticket Get One Free from KRAFT Singles, Tuesday Night Ticket offer. Please take a moment to answer this brief survey by clicking here, http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q78JZ2Z. Great tickets are still available by visiting the Hammons Field Ticket Office, online at springfieldcardinals.com or by calling (417) 863-2143.

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