Drillers Win On Record Breaking Night
A paid crowd of 7,402 attended the Friday Night Fireworks game, bringing total attendance during the inaugural season at ONEOK Field to 352,871, the highest season total in the history of Tulsa Professional Baseball. The old record of 351,929 was set in the 1999 season. Professional baseball has been played in Tulsa since 1905.
The record breaking fan entered the stadium just after the start of the game. The record was broken by the Jannasch Family of Broken Arrow - Nathan, Andrea, Carter and Allison. They were awarded a prize package that included a commemorative 351,930 jersey and four season tickets to the Drillers 2011 season.
On the field, the victory was vital because it allowed Tulsa to keep pace with Northwest Arkansas and Springfield in the North Division pennant race. All three teams won on Friday, keeping the first-place Naturals two games in front of both the Drillers and the Cardinals with only 17 games remaining in the regular season.
The Drillers' victory did not come easily, as three times they took leads, but each time the RockHounds rallied to tie the game. Tulsa finally broke a 6-6 tie with three runs in the fifth inning, and for the only time all night, Midland did not have an answer.
The Drillers opened the game's scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first, but the RockHounds matched the two runs in the top of the third.
Tulsa's runs came when Anthony Jackson walked and Bronson Sardinha singled in front of a run-scoring base hit by Jeff Kindel. After Jason Van Kooten struck out, Lars Davis singled home Sardinha.
Midland's pair of runs in the third came when the first three batters of the inning hit safely. Matthew Sulentic singled and Petey Paramore doubled. A base hit by Jemile Weeks brought both runners home to tie the game at 2-2.
The Drillers went back in front with a two-out rally in the bottom of the third. After Matt Wright retired the first two hitters of the frame, a walk to Lars Davis and base hits by Kiel Roling and Warren Schaeffer loaded the bases. Radames Nazario followed with a bases-clearing double into the left field corner that put Tulsa back in front 5-2.
But again, the RockHounds answered when the first three batters in the top of the fourth reached base against Cory Riordan. Corey Brown doubled, Val Majewski walked and Alex Valdez singled. A two-run single from Horton pulled the Hounds to within one, before a run-scoring hit by Paramore tied the game at 5-5.
In the bottom of the inning, Sardinha walked and scored on a double by Van Kooten to give the Drillers their third lead of the night.
The RockHounds again wasted little time in tying the game. In the top of the fifth, Shane Peterson singled, stole second base and scored on a hit from Valdez to even the score at 6-6.
Tulsa finally took the lead for good with its three-run fifth, and again, the rally started with two outs and the bases empty. It began with a base hit by Jackson, who then moved into scoring position with a stolen base. Jackson scored on a double by Charlie Blackmon. Following a walk to Sardinha, the Drillers executed a double steal. Kindel then plated both runners with a lined singled into right field to give Tulsa a 9-6 lead.
After that, the pitching staffs finally slowed down the offensive outbursts. Ching-Lung Lo did not allow a hit in two scoreless relief innings for the Drillers, while Adam Jorgensen pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Rex Brothers closed out the win with a scoreless ninth inning to collect his third Double A save of the season.
Midland out-hit Tulsa 11-10 in the game, but every Drillers starter tallied at least one hit. Kindel had the lone two-hit night, finishing 2-4 with three runs batted in. Nazario also knocked home three runs.
The Drillers will now begin a three-game series Saturday night with the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double A affiliate of the first-place Texas Rangers. Keith Weiser (8-7, 4.27 ERA) will pitch the opener for Tulsa against Travis Chick (0-1, 27.00 ERA) of the Riders. First pitch will be at 7:05PM at ONEOK Field.