Drillers Fall in Springfield

<st1:city w:st="on">SPRINGFIELD, <st1:state w:st="on">MO - For four innings Tuesday night, the Tulsa Drillers seemed headed to their ninth win in ten meetings with <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Springfield this season. The Drillers held a three-run lead, but things unraveled in the bottom of the fifth as the Redbirds erupted with four runs to take the lead. It was a lead they would not surrender, scoring two more times to send the Drillers to a 7-4 defeat at Hammons Field.
The loss was the second straight for <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tulsa after posting a season high six-game winning streak.
The Drillers initially overcame an early deficit as the Cardinals jumped out to an early lead. Dylan Carlson led off the bottom of the first with a triple, but came into score on the play on Zach McKinstry's throwing error, putting the Cards in front 1-0.
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tulsa used a pair of two-run innings to build its lead. A two-out, two-run single by McKinstry in the third put the Drillers on top. In the fourth, Cody Thomas led off with a base hit, and DJ Peters followed with his seventh home run of the season to make it a 4-1 margin.
The Cardinals completely erased the lead with four runs in the fifth. Carlson doubled home the first two runs, and Randy Arozarena tied the score with a run-scoring hit. Brian O'Keefe doubled in the fourth run of the inning, putting the Redbirds in front 5-4.
WHAT YOU MISSED
It was the first loss this season at Hammons Field for the Drillers. They swept a three-game road series from the Redbirds last week.
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Tulsa starting pitcher J.D. Martin was charged with the loss after surrendering five runs on six hits. He also walked three hitters while striking out five.
The Drillers announced a roster move prior to the game. Catcher Josh Thole was assigned to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oklahoma City to replace former Drillers catcher Will Smith, who was promoted to the majors by the Los Angeles Dodgers. To replace Thole, catcher Jordan Procyshen joined the Drillers from <st1:place w:st="on">Rancho Cucamonga. Procyshen started and picked up one hit in the loss to the Cards.
The Drillers were out-hit in the game 9-5 and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tulsa pitchers issued six walks.
*Irving Lopez homered off reliever Ryan Moseley to lead off the bottom of the seventh to account for the Redbirds final run of the game.


UP NEXT:  <st1:city w:st="on">Tulsa at <st1:city w:st="on">Springfield, Wednesday, May 29, at 6:30 PM at Hammons Field in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Springfield, <st1:state w:st="on">MO.  RHP J.D. Martin (2-3, 5.57 ERA) versus TBA.