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Extra-Base Hits Help Memphis to 6-3 Win

Left-Hander Tim Cooney Throws His Seventh Quality Start Of Season
June 3, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma - On a night the Redbirds had nine hits, eight of them went for extra-bases as Memphis walked away from Oklahoma City with a 6-3 win in the series finale at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

All but two players had an extra-base hit for the 'Birds, who tied season-highs with six doubles and two triples in one game. The balanced attack supported Memphis in splitting the series against Oklahoma City.

The 'Birds grabbed the lead with back-to-back two run innings in the second and third. Xavier Scruggs (1-4, 2B, R) recorded Memphis' first hit when he lead off the second by drilling a double to center and was moved to third by a Pete Kozma (1-2, 2B, RBI, BB, R) sacrifice bunt. After Jermaine Curtis (1-3, HBP, R, 2 RBI) was hit by a pitch, Audry Perez (0-3, RBI) grabbed an RBI with a sacrifice fly. Then with two outs, outfielder Mike O'Neill (2-4, 3B, 2B, RBI) roped a ball past the diving left fielder and ended up at third with a triple that scored Curtis.

Memphis rode the wave into the third when Shane Robinson (1-5, 2B, R), Stephen Piscotty (1-4, 2B, R, RBI, 2 K) and Kozma all doubled in the inning to advance the Memphis lead to 4-0.

The four runs were plenty of cushion for Tim Cooney (W, 6-4, 3.59), who recorded his second straight win on Tuesday night. Cooney was coming off his near no-hitter that was lost with two outs in the ninth inning against Iowa and the left-hander picked up where he left off. The 23-year old tossed 6.2 innings with six hits, two runs (one earned), two walks and two strikeouts.

Oklahoma City notched both their runs off Cooney in the seventh inning. Catcher Max Stassi belted his sixth home run of the season with one away in the frame to give the RedHawks their first run of the game. Ronald Torreyes essentially produced the next run by himself. The second baseman singled with two away and stole second. He then scooted to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error from Perez. After seven innings, the Redbirds were clinging to a two-run lead.

The Memphis bats rattled off two more runs in the eighth inning though. Greg Garcia (1-5, 2B, R) led off with a double and Kozma worked a two-out walk. The free pass gave way to Curtis who stepped to the dish and with a sharp single to left, plated both infielders. It was the second time Curtis produced a multi-RBI game against Oklahoma City in the four games and those two RBIs gave him seven in the series.

The RedHawks snatched another run in the eighth, but were shut down in the ninth when David Aardsma (1.19) closed the door for his tenth save of the season and his eleventh consecutive scoreless outing. The win salvaged a series split in Oklahoma City, but the RedHawks won the season series by taking 10 of 16 away from the Redbirds.

Memphis will take all the rest they can get on the league-wide off-day tomorrow. The 'Birds will resume play on Thursday when they open up their longest home series since 2006 by playing host to their cross-state rival Nashville Sounds. Right-hander Zach Petrick (2-3, 4.40) will go against Ariel Pena (4-4, 4.01)