Cabbiness, Drillers "Slam" Sod Squad
Tulsa, OK- The Tulsa Drillers made it three straight series wins Thursday night with a 11-2 win over Amarillo in Texas Collegiate League action at ONEOK Field. The Drillers erupted for nine runs in the fifth inning to secure the win. The big rally was capped by a grand slam
Tulsa, OK- The Tulsa Drillers made it three straight series wins Thursday night with a 11-2 win over Amarillo in Texas Collegiate League action at ONEOK Field. The Drillers erupted for nine runs in the fifth inning to secure the win. The big rally was capped by a grand slam home run from Bixby’s Cade Cabbiness.
The win improved the Drillers season record to 6-3. They have now won all three series they have played by taking two of three games in each one. Thursday’s victory moved them into a first-place tie with the Amarillo Sod Dogs in the TCL North Division standings.
The series finale with the Sod Squad opened with four scoreless innings before Amarillo plated a run in the top of the fifth. Chris Ceballos singled and scored when Kyle Hogwood dropped a double just inside the foul line in shallow left field.
The Drillers responded in the bottom of the fifth with their biggest inning of the season. They sent 12 batters to the plate in scoring 9 runs. The first two came home on a two-run single by Alec Sanchez. Jamal O’Guinn singled home the third run, and the fourth came on a wild pitch. USC’s Ben Ramirez plated the fifth run before two walks loaded the bases for Cade Cabbiness. The OSU and Bixby, Oklahoma outfielder cleared the bases with a drive over the right field fence for a grand slam that put Tulsa in front 9-1.
“That ball hit pretty well!” @CCabbiness16 Grand Slam from last Thursday night. pic.twitter.com/Bb0pKP0riC
— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) July 12, 2020
Three walks and a wild pitch gave Amarillo its second run in the sixth, but another run-scoring hit from Ramirez in the bottom of the sixth restored the Drillers eight-run lead.
Humberto Torres, from Florida International, capped Tulsa’s big night with a pinch-hit, solo home run in the eighth inning.
TULSA HITTERS: Ramirez enjoyed a perfect night at the plate, finishing 3-3 with a walk and two runs batted in.
ORU’s Ryan Cash went 2-4 with a run scored.
Cabbiness had just one hit, but it was the big grand slam. With the four RBI, he upped his season total to eight, which leads the team.
Sanchez increased his hitting streak to five straight games.
Aidan Nagle was 0-3, snapping his five-game hit streak.
O’Guinn’s RBI in the first inning gives him six runs batted in over his last four games.
TULSA PITCHERS: Starting pitcher Kale Davis opened the game by retiring the first ten Amarillo hitters. His streak ended with a one-out single in the top of the fourth by David Marcano. Davis, who pitches for OSU, worked 4.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out three.
Western Kentucky’s Riley Boyd pitched 2.1 relief innings to pick up his first win of the season. The right-hander did not allow a hit but issued four walks and hit two batters in allowing one run.
Austin Teel closed out the win with two scoreless innings. The Wake Forest lefthander allowed just one hit and struck out three.
UP NEXT: Tulsa will now embark on its second road trip of the season. The Drillers will open a three-game series in Victoria, Texas Friday night. It will be the first meeting this season with the Generals. Starting time in Victoria is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The game can also be viewed online with a subscription to TCL-TV.
The starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
Tulsa – RHP Alejandro Torres (0-0, 6.00 ERA)
Victoria – TBD