Cardinals come back in ninth inning to edge Frisco
FRISCO, Texas (June 20, 2023) – Thomas Saggese tied his career high with four hits and Luisangel Acuña laced three extra base hits but the Springfield Cardinals rallied in the ninth inning for a 10-7 win on Tuesday at Riders Field. Box Score The Cardinals (32-32) did not take a
FRISCO, Texas (June 20, 2023) – Thomas Saggese tied his career high with four hits and Luisangel Acuña laced three extra base hits but the Springfield Cardinals rallied in the ninth inning for a 10-7 win on Tuesday at Riders Field.
The Cardinals (32-32) did not take a lead until the ninth inning. Down to their last strike and trailing 7-6, Pedro Pagés' fly ball just cleared the left field fence for a go-ahead two-run homer. Jacob Buchberger added two-run home run of his own later in the inning.
Nick Starr (3-3) gave up the runs in the ninth for the loss. Chris Roycroft (2-1) garnered the win having logged a scoreless eighth inning. Andre Granillo pitched a clean ninth inning for the save.
Frisco (28-35) scored the first five runs of the game. Acuña doubled to lead off the first inning and Saggese scored him on a single. Acuña came back for a solo home run in the second inning, followed by Saggese's single and stolen base. Saggese scored on Trevor Hauver's line drive single to make it 5-0.
Nick Krauth allowed five runs the next inning to tie the game, but he came back in the fourth and fifth innings to keep the score tied at 5-5. Aidan Anderson went 1-2-3 in the sixth inning before encountering trouble in the seventh. He allowed one run before Antoine Kelly entered with one out and retired both batters he faced to strand runners on the corners.
Michael Brewer kept Springfield off the board in the eighth inning.
Scott Kapers recorded a sac fly and a double, while Kellen Strahm and Hauver chipped in with a single, walk and RBI each.
The RoughRiders play the second game of the six-game series with Springfield on Wednesday, June 21st at 7:05 p.m. For Frisco, RHP Seth Nordlin (0-0, 5.14 ERA) gets the start while RHP Connor Lunn (2-4, 5.47 ERA) takes the hill for the Cardinals. Get your tickets now at RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the 2022 Texas League champions. In 2023, the team is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has consistently finished in the top five among all Double-A franchises in attendance yearly. In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, Bullpen Bar, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 185 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball including current Rangers Josh Jung, Cole Ragans and Bubba Thompson. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].