Big Inning from Hooks Beats Drillers

TULSA - For six innings Friday night, the Tulsa Drillers were in a tight battle with Corpus Christi in the first game of the final series of the regular season at ONEOK Field. But in the seventh, the Hooks erupted for six runs and cruised to an 8-2 win. It was the second straight loss for the Drillers and dropped them into a first-place tie with Arkansas in the North Division standings of the Texas League.
It was not all bad news though, as Midland defeated Springfield. Tulsa and the Cardinals are battling for the second and final postseason berth from the North Division and for the opportunity to face the Travelers in the first round of the TL playoffs.
 
In Friday's series opener with the Hooks, the game was scoreless through the first three innings before both teams got on the scoreboard in the fourth. With one out in the top of the inning, Corpus Christi's Stephen Wrenn doubled into the left field corner. Jake Adams followed with a hit into the left-center field gap that brought Wrenn home with the game's first run.  
Tulsa used a similar script in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at 1-1. Leading off, Omar Estevez doubled off the right field fence. With one out, Connor Wong dropped a hit in front of Hooks left fielder Corey Julks, plating Estevez with the tying run.
The Hooks retook the lead with an unearned run in the fifth. With one out, Jake Meyers lined a base hit into left field that ricocheted off the leg of left fielder Drew Avans, and the error allowed Meyers to advance to second. Following a ground out to pitcher Parker Curry, Julks delivered a run-scoring single to give the Hooks a 2-1 lead.
The Drillers again answered in the bottom half of the inning, thanks to Jared Walker. Walker belted a two-out solo home run onto the grass berm beyond the right field fence. It was the first baseman's 12th homer of the season.
It would be the final highlight of the night for Tulsa as things fell apart in the seventh inning. Stetson Allie relieved Curry, and all five batters he faced reached safely, producing two runs for the Hooks. Ryan Moseley came on for Allie with the bases loaded and no outs and surrendered a run-scoring single to J.J. Matijevic. Following a sacrifice fly, Wrenn singled home two more runs to cap a six-run inning for the Hooks that gave them an insurmountable 8-2 lead.
 
 
WHAT YOU MISSED
Curry delivered a quality start on the mound for the Drillers. The right-hander worked six innings and surrendered two runs on seven hits, but only one of the runs was earned. Curry did not walk a batter while striking out eight. It was just the third time in 11 starts this season that he has worked at least six innings.
Connor Wong singled in four at-bats, extending his hitting streak to seven straight games. Drew Avans went 1-3 to also extend his hitting streak to seven games.
Errol Robinson was hitless in four trips to the plate, ending his four-game streak.
There were a total of five errors in the game, three from Tulsa.
The Tulsa bullpen's streak of 11 straight hitless innings ended in the Hooks big six-run outburst.

Tulsa batters struck 16 times in the game, matching a season high.
UP NEXT:  Corpus Christi at Tulsa, Friday, August 23, 7:05 PM at ONEOK Field. RHP Bryan Abreu (6-2, 4.43 ERA) versus RHP Edwin Uceta (6-2, 3.32 ERA).