Stowers homer lifts Riders over Travelers in extras
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (June 21, 2022) – After dropping a 5-0 lead, the Frisco RoughRiders outlasted Arkansas for their first extra-innings win of the season with a 9-6 victory at Dickey-Stephens Park Tuesday night. Josh Stowers finished with four RBIs and capped his night with a three-run homer in
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (June 21, 2022) – After dropping a 5-0 lead, the Frisco RoughRiders outlasted Arkansas for their first extra-innings win of the season with a 9-6 victory at Dickey-Stephens Park Tuesday night. Josh Stowers finished with four RBIs and capped his night with a three-run homer in the top of the tenth to deliver the final blow, his fourth home run of the season. Left fielder Dustin Harris slugged his first career MiLB grand slam in the fourth inning for his 12th HR of the season, tying him for most on Frisco’s roster with Blaine Crim and Trey Hair.
Frisco (33-31) utilized six bullpen arms after a two-inning start from Tai Tiedemann, his first of the season. Reliever Triston Polley (S, 1) made his Double-A debut with Frisco by denying Arkansas (34-30) in the tenth inning to earn his first save.
After allowing the tying runs to score in the ninth inning, Fer Ozuna (3-0) picked up the win with two hits given up. Arkansas reliever Devin Sweet (3-3) gave up the three-run Stowers homer in the tenth inning for the loss.
Riders pitching limited Arkansas to one run through the first five innings offensively until the Travs plated five runs from the seventh through the ninth inning to force Tuesday’s game into an extra frame.
Frisco and Arkansas lasted two innings scoreless before the Riders brought the first three on base safely against Arkansas starter Levi Stoudt in the top of the third. J.P. Martinez followed up a Matt Whatley leadoff single with a walk to put two on for Justin Foscue, who singled to load the bases. Harris brought them all in with his 12th knock of the season, tying Crim and Hair for most by a RoughRiders hitter this season.
In the fifth inning, Martinez doubled in Jax Biggers from second to inflate Frisco’s lead to 5-0, their largest of the night. The Travelers scored their first run on Riders reliever Josh Smith on a fielding error to plate a run and make it a 5-1 Frisco lead.
Kellen Strahm and Biggers kickstarted the top of the sixth with consecutive base hits, followed up by a Stowers RBI double to give the Riders a 6-1 lead, tied for their largest of the night.
Arkansas began their comeback with a two-run homer in the bottom of the second from catcher Jake Anchia, his second home run of the season with the Travelers, cutting the Riders lead to 6-3. Arkansas produced three two-out singles in the bottom of the eighth inning on Riders reliever Nick Starr to tighten Frisco’s lead to 6-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, Arkansas got an RBI groundout from Jack Larsen to plate Kaden Polcovich and move the tying run in Joe Rizzo to third with two outs. A wild pitch from Ozuna allowed Rizzo to score and force the tenth inning.
Entering Tuesday, Frisco held an 0-3 record in extra innings against opponents this season.
With Hair beginning at second, Biggers worked a walk with one out to give Stowers another RBI chance after he doubled in a run earlier in the sixth. Stowers blasted his fourth home run of the season on the third pitch over the left field wall to plate all three, propelling Frisco out in front for good, 9-6.
The Riders win, coupled with a San Antonio loss, moves Frisco two games out from first in the South Division with five games remaining in the first half of the season. Frisco does not own the tie-breaker over San Antonio, who has played two fewer games than the Riders this season.
The six-game series continues Wednesday night from Dickey-Stephens Park with a 6:35 p.m. start time, as Frisco’s LHP June 21 (1-4, 7.44 ERA) makes his 11th start of the year against Seattle 2020 first rounder RHP Emerson Hancock (1-2, 2.45 ERA).
The Riders return to Frisco to conclude the month of June and usher in July with a six game series against the Corpus Christi Hooks on June 28th. For tickets and more information about the Frisco RoughRiders, visit RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance for 15 consecutive seasons (2005-2019). 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, InTouch Grille, 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 170 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].