Seferina's 4 RBIs lead Cardinals past RoughRiders

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Another day, another win in Springfield.

The Cardinals won their fifth game in their last seven on Monday behind four RBIs from Darren Seferina in a 6-1 win over the visiting Frisco RoughRiders with 4,806 in attendance.

Jake Woodford (1-1) looked strong in his first home start of the season and first career start at Hammons Field. The 22nd-ranked Cardinals prospect, according to MLB.com, allowed one run on four hits and four walks over five innings, striking out five.

Springfield (5-6) jumped on Frisco (3-8) early for the second straight game, scoring four runs in the first two innings after putting up seven in the first three innings of Sunday's win.

Seferina's first home run of the season put the Cardinals ahead for good at 3-1 in the second inning off RoughRiders starter Richelson Peña.

The RoughRiders briefly led 1-0 in the first when a two-out flair to shallow right by Hunter Cole scored Michael O'Neill from second.

In the bottom of the first, a hard-hit ball to third by John Nogowski scored Edmundo Sosa from second after Sosa had doubled, tying the game 1-1.

THE GAME WAS OVER WHEN

Seferina put the Cardinals up 6-1 in the fifth by ripping a bases-loaded double to deep left that drove in Andrew Knizner and Victor Roache. That lead would stand behind four scoreless innings from Springfield relievers Estarlin Arias, Ramon Santos and Chris Ellis, who combined to strike out five and allow just a single hit.

HEAT CHECK CONTINUED

The Cardinals came into Monday leading the Texas League with a .282 team average, and those hot bats stayed hot Monday. Seferina started it off in the second by launching a two-run rocket into Homers Landing in right. Two batters later, Edmundo Sosa followed suit with a solo bomb to the same spot, putting the Cardinals up 4-1.

Sosa, Seferina and Knizner all finished with two hits. Knizner has a hit in seven of eight starts this season and his increased his average from .267 to .379 since Springfield's home opener on April 12.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

SPRINGFIELD: Sosa's homer was his first in Double-A … Lane Thomas finished 0-for-4, ending his 10-game hit streak to open the season … The Cardinals were outscored by 22 runs in their first six games (1-5) but have outscored opponents 38-13 since (4-1).

FRISCO: Frisco center fielder and leadoff hitter Michael O'Neill was ejected from the RoughRiders dugout in the top of the seventh.

UP NEXT

The RoughRiders and Cardinals play Game 3 of the series and the final of Springfield's season-opening homestand on Tuesday at 11:10 a.m. at Hammons Field. Tuesday is a Great Southern Bank $1 Dog Day.

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