Drillers Use Big First Inning to Defeat RockHounds
TULSA – The weather is not the only thing that is currently hot in the city of Tulsa. The Tulsa Drillers’ bats are sizzling too. For the third straight game Wednesday night, the Drillers easily reached double figures in hits and defeated Midland 12-2 at ONEOK Field. The win was
TULSA – The weather is not the only thing that is currently hot in the city of Tulsa. The Tulsa Drillers’ bats are sizzling too. For the third straight game Wednesday night, the Drillers easily reached double figures in hits and defeated Midland 12-2 at ONEOK Field.
The win was the third straight for Tulsa and its sixth in the past eight games. In their current three-game winning streak, the Drillers have totaled 42 runs and 49 hits and have a .415 team batting average.
Leadoff batter Jacob Amaya got the big night going in the first inning, hitting a home run to the visitor’s bullpen on the second pitch he saw. Following a Miguel Vargas walk and a single from Donovan Casey, James Outman cleared the bases with a double to right. Devin Mann drove in a fourth run on a single to center. Amaya drove in two more with his single to center. Michael Busch drove in the final two runs in the first frame on his double to right, giving the Drillers a commanding 8-0 lead.
Tulsa added two more runs in the fourth. Following a double from Outman, Ryan Noda smacked his 16th home run of the season, increasing the lead to 10-0.
Midland put two runs on the board when Owasso native Jonah Bride hit a two-RBI single to bring the game to 10-2.
Michael Busch hit his 12th blast of the season in the fifth to give the Drillers two more runs.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
*Wednesday’s victory is Tulsa’s third straight game with at least 15 hits.
*Amaya had a big night going 3-4 in the game and was 2-2 with a home run and three RBIs in the first inning.
*Casey continued his hot streak, going 3-6. In his past six games, he is hitting .552 (16-29) with six doubles and five RBI.
*Despite exiting the game with a 10-0 lead Andre Jackson did not earn the win. He pitched 4.1 innings and gave up three hits, one run and two walks, while striking out five.
*Outman also had two doubles in the game.
*Reliever Mark Washington earned the win, giving up two hits with one strikeout in two scoreless innings.
UP NEXT
Midland at Tulsa on Thursday, July 29 at 7:05 PM at ONEOK Field.
The pitching matchup will feature Midland LHP Ty Damron (2-2, 5.36 ERA) against Tulsa RHP Bryan Brickhouse (1-2, 3.34 ERA).