Travelers nab 9th inning win, 4-3

Springfield, MO - Down to their final out, the Arkansas Travelers came back with three runs in the top of the ninth, and then escaped a jam in the bottom of the ninth, claiming a 4-3 victory against the Springfield Cardinals before 4,126 fans at Hammons Field on Thursday night.

After Cardinals LHP Ryan Sherriff and Travelers RHP Brandon Hynick both dealt scoreless innings in the first, the Cardinals (28-29) swung in front in the bottom of the second. Leading off the frame, 1B Xavier Scruggs crushed a solo home run over the left field fence, cracking the scoreless tie. One out later, C Cody Stanley belted a solo shot of his own on top of the Cardinals clubhouse beyond the right field wall, doubling the early lead to 2-0.

Arkansas (30-27) managed to get on the board in the top of the fourth frame. SS Jimmy Swift started the inning with a base hit, followed quickly by a double from 1B CJ Cron putting runners at second and third. RF Randal Grichuk then swatted an RBI sacrifice fly to center field, plating Swift to cut the Cards lead in half, 2-1.

The Cardinals, though, stretched the lead right back out in the bottom of the fourth. 3B Ruben Gotay got things going with a double inside the left field line, before Scruggs singled him to third base. RF Adam Melker brought Gotay home with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field, making it 3-1.

Sherriff kept the Cards in front through the remainder of his outing, finishing with six innings of work and allowing just the one run. The combination of LHP Jonathan Cornelius, RHP Kevin Thomas, LHP Justin Wright and RHP Deryk Hooker (L, 1-2) provided scoreless relief for Springfield until the Arkansas comeback in the top of the ninth.

With two away in the final frame, CF Travis Witherspoon lined a single just out of the reach of SS Luis Mateo for a base hit to left field. After Witherspoon advanced to second base on defensive indifference, DH Rolando Gomez grounded an RBI base hit that barely got by the diving effort of Mateo up the middle. Within one run and with Gomez at first base, Swift drove a go-ahead two-run homer to center field, lifting the Travelers in front, 4-3.

With two down in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Cardinals attempted their own comeback against RHP Josh Judy (S, 4). Scruggs kept the game going initially with a double ripped into the left field corner, before Melker followed with a free pass to put two runners on. However, Judy induced a game-ending grounder off the bat of Stanley, and the Travelers escaped with the 4-3 win.

Click here to view the complete box score from Thursday's game.

The Cardinals and Travelers conclude the four-game series with a can't-miss AM Pyrotechnics Friday Night Fireworks Show featuring Kids Movies Theme Songs after the game at 7:09pm. Gates open at 6:09pm.

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