Drillers claim season finale, 8-4

Springfield, MO - The Tulsa Drillers took the final game of the 2013 season, 8-4, against the Springfield Cardinals before 5,687 fans at Hammons Field on Monday afternoon.

1B Xavier Scruggs hit two home runs, surpassing Steven Hill as the Cardinals all-time leader in homers with 59 in his powerful career. He hit a career-high 29 home runs this season.

The Drillers (34-36, 68-70) struck first in the top of the second inning against RHP Zach Petrick. With one away, RF Tyler Kuhn doubled himself on, before coming in on an RBI single by LF Tim Smalling to lift Tulsa ahead, 1-0.

Petrick kept the Drillers at just the one run through his third and fourth frames, allowing the Cardinals (31-39, 64-74) to overtake Tulsa with two tallies in the bottom of the fourth. Facing RHP Tim Gustafson (W, 7-12) with one down in the frame, Scruggs lined his first home run of the day over the right field wall. RF Stephen Piscotty followed with a double, racing in next on an RBI double from LF Adam Melker, lifting the Cardinals into a 2-1 lead.

However, Tulsa tied it with a solo home run by 3B Jayson Langfels in the fifth and moved in front with a pair of runs against RHP Zach Russell (L, 0-2) in the sixth. SS Cristhian Adames started the stanza with a single, racing in from third base on an RBI double from 1B Kyle Parker. After a pair of groundouts, Smalling placed an RBI single to bring in Parker for the 4-2 advantage.

The Drillers increased the lead in the top of the seventh. After a single and a double by 2B Joey Wong and Langfels, respectively, Gustafson helped his own cause with an RBI single. With runners at the corners, LHP Justin Wright took over to face CF Delta Cleary, Jr. Cleary, Jr. promptly bounced an RBI fielder's choice to third base that brought in Langfels from third to make it 6-2. After a pop out for the first out of the inning, 1B Kyle Parker reached on an infield single to load the bases. C Dustin Garneau followed with a perfectly-placed grounder inside the third base line for a two-run double, swinging Tulsa into an 8-2 advantage.

Scruggs delivered another blow in the bottom of the eighth inning. After 3B Ruben Gotay led off with a base hit, Scruggs belted a two-run home run over the center field wall, bringing the Cardinals within four runs of tying it, 8-4.

However, RHP Mike Marbry tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth for Tulsa, closing the 8-4 win for the Drillers.