Drillers Held to One Hit in Loss to Wichita
TULSA – On a rainy Sunday afternoon at ONEOK Field, hits and runs were again difficult to come by for the Tulsa Drillers. The Drillers were held without a hit through the first six innings, and to just one overall, and lost the final game of their series with Wichita
TULSA – On a rainy Sunday afternoon at ONEOK Field, hits and runs were again difficult to come by for the Tulsa Drillers. The Drillers were held without a hit through the first six innings, and to just one overall, and lost the final game of their series with Wichita 3-0. The result gave the two teams a split of their six-game series.
In the six games against the Wind Surge, Tulsa totaled just 24 hits and hit just a combined .139 as a team. Sunday’s game marked the first time this season that the Drillers were shut out.
Wichita took advantage of a wild pitch to score the game’s first run in the top of the third inning. After a base hit and a walk put runners at first and second with one out, Tulsa starting pitcher Michael Grove skipped a pitch to the backstop to advance the runners. Ernie De La Trinidad took advantage by delivering a sacrifice fly that put the Wind Surge in front 1-0.
The lead swelled to 3-0 in the fifth. The first two batters of the inning reached safely with a base hit and a walk off Tulsa reliever Justin Hagenman. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a fly out to deep left field. Trinidad singled home one of the runners, and Jermaine Palacios doubled home the second with a drive into the left field corner.
The Drillers first hit did not come until there was one out in the seventh when Kody Hoese lined a single into left field.
Wichita starting pitcher Austin Schulfer was outstanding, allowing just one hit in 6.2 innings. He walked one and struck out six while cutting his season ERA nearly in half, from 11.00 down to 6.32.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
*The start of the game was delayed for 28 minutes to allow rain showers to move through the downtown Tulsa area.
*Grove had his best outing of the season, giving up just the one run in 3.2 innings. He struck out a season high seven batters and lowered his season ERA by over three runs.
*It was Jackie Robinson Day at ONEOK Field and every Driller wore jersey number 42, Robinson’s number with Brooklyn Dodgers. The jerseys featured the Dodgers’ design with a blue Drillers, script logo over a red numeral.
*In the six game series with the Wind Surge, the Drillers total only 24 hits and had a .139 team batting average. Ten of the 24 hits came in the first game of the series.
UP NEXT
The Drillers will open a 12-game road trip on Tuesday in Little Rock. The trip will include six games against the Arkansas Travelers, followed by six games at Northwest Arkansas.
Tulsa at Arkansas on Tuesday, May 25, 7:10 PM at Dickey-Stephens Park. Tulsa RHP Gus Varland (0-1, 4.76 ERA) versus Arkansas RHP Alejandro Requena (1-0, 6.75 ERA).