Game-Winning Error Gives Drillers Doubleheader Split
Tulsa OK – Tulsa Drillers infielder Jake Gelof has been responsible for Tulsa’s most recent wins over the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field. Following a 12-5 loss in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, a ground ball hit by Gelof was misplayed by the Arkansas second baseman, producing a 2-1 victory
Tulsa OK – Tulsa Drillers infielder Jake Gelof has been responsible for Tulsa’s most recent wins over the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field. Following a 12-5 loss in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, a ground ball hit by Gelof was misplayed by the Arkansas second baseman, producing a 2-1 victory for the Drillers as they salvaged a split of the twin bill.
The walk-off came just one night after Gelof’s dramatic, game-winning two-run homer on Friday.
Saturday’s game two victory handed the Drillers a 3-2 series lead over the Travelers, giving them a chance to win their third straight series with a win in Sunday’s finale.
Arkansas had control for most of game one and was helped out by eight walks from the Tulsa pitching staff.
After the Travelers took the initial lead in the second inning, the Drillers gained their only lead in the bottom half of the second on Yeiner Fernandez’s two-run double and a wild pitch.
Arkansas regained the lead with five runs in the third inning on Hunter Fitz-Gerald’s RBI double, Charlie Pagliarini's two-RBI single, an RBI forceout and a passed ball.
The Travelers lead was cut to one on Joe Vetrano’s two-run homer, but those were the last runs Tulsa scored in the comeback attempt.
Arkansas went on to score six unanswered runs across the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, with only two scoring on hits as the Travs recorded the 12-5 victory.
Game two was a pitchers’ duel as Payton Martin and Nico Tellache each opened the contest with three scoreless innings.
Fitz-Gerald broke through and gave Arkansas a 1-0 lead with a solo home run.
The home run was all Martin allowed as he departed after working five innings with five strikeouts.
Tellache also exited the game after he worked five scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
The Drillers were still scoreless entering in the sixth inning before they ended the shutout bid. The inning began with Chris Newell drawing a walk and advancing to second on a ground out. Newell scored one batter later to tie the game at 1-1 when Kyle Nevin singled to left-center field.
After Roque Gutierrez worked a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, the heroics in the bottom half of the inning began with a lead-off walk to Joe Vetrano and a base hit by Nelson Quiroz that put runners at first and second. Gelof followed with a sharp grounder that looked like a likely double play, but the grounder skipped between the legs of second baseman Michael Arroyo, allowing Vetrano come home with the walk-off victory.
GAME NOTES
*The victory in game two was the Drillers third comeback win of the season.
*Gutierrez was credited with the win in the nightcap, improving his record to 2-0. The Mexico native did not allow a hit in two innings and recorded one strikeout.
*Wyatt Crowell entered Saturday’s game having not allowed a run in 8.0 innings this season. He was charged with his first loss in the opener after allowing six runs in two innings, four of which were earned.
*Martin’s five strikeouts in his game two start were a new season high.
*Kendall George recorded two hits in game one to extend his hitting streak to eight games. He did not appear in game two.
*The Drillers wore the Chicken Dancer jerseys for the nightcap to pay homage to the Chicken Dance originating at Tulsa’s Oktoberfest.
UP NEXT
The Drillers and Travelers will conclude their six-game series with the game six on Sunday afternoon at ONEOK Field. The finale is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
ARK- RHP Adam Leverett (0-0, 1.00 ERA)
TUL – LHP Luke Fox (1-0, 2.87 ERA)