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Drillers Fall to Sod Squad in 12 Innings

USC Trojan Ben Ramirez fields a ball as the Drillers lose a thriller in extras. (Rich Crimi)
July 8, 2020

Tulsa, OK- For the first time this season, the Tulsa Drillers needed extra innings to determine a winner when they opened a three-game series with the Amarillo Sod Squad Tuesday night at ONEOK Field. Tied at six after nine innings, the two teams traded runs in the 10th and 11th

Tulsa, OK- For the first time this season, the Tulsa Drillers needed extra innings to determine a winner when they opened a three-game series with the Amarillo Sod Squad Tuesday night at ONEOK Field. Tied at six after nine innings, the two teams traded runs in the 10th and 11th innings, before Amarillo scored twice in the top of the 12th. The Drillers did not have an answer in the bottom of the 12th, giving the Sod Squad a 10-8 victory.

The Texas Collegiate League uses the Minor League Baseball rule of placing a runner at second base to open each half inning. The placed runner scored for both teams in the first two extra frames. In the 12th, Amarillo pinch-hitter Terrance Spurlin plated the placed runner, and a wild pitch brought home another. The Drillers went down in order in the bottom half of the inning to end the game.

The Drillers took an early lead in the entertaining contest when Cam Chick led off the bottom of the first by doubling off the top of the wall near the right field foul line. Chick came into score on consecutive errors by the Sod Squad.

Amarillo erased its deficit with two runs on only one hit in the second inning against Tulsa starter Brandon Sproat. The Sod Squad took advantage of an error, a hit batsman and a pair of walks to go in front.

The lead increased in the third when David Marcano singled off Sproat, stole both second and third bases and scored on a base hit by Chris Ceballos.

A three-run homer by Julio Marcano, the twin brother of David, upped the Amarillo lead to 6-1. The homer came off Drillers reliever Zach Maxwell.

Tulsa began cutting into the margin in the fourth thanks to a two-run single from OSU and Bixby's Cade Cabbiness.

The Drillers crept even closer with a pair of gift runs in the sixth. With two outs and the bases empty, Brandon Hickey doubled when center fielder Max Marusak lost the fly ball in the stadium lights. Two pitches later Marusak overran Cabbiness' deep drive, turning the possible out into a run-scoring triple. An error on third baseman David Marcano allowed Cabbiness to score to make it 6-5.

Tulsa completely erased its early deficit in the eighth, and again Cabbiness was involved. Jamal O'Guinn was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to third on two infield ground outs. With two outs, Cabbiness dropped a single into center field to plate O'Guinn and tie the game at 6-6.

TULSA HITTERS: Cabbiness became the first Tulsa batter to get three hits in a game this season, finishing 3-5 with 3 runs batted in.

OSU's Hueston Morrill did not enter the game until the sixth inning, but he had an impact. Playing shortstop, he made three outstanding plays in the field, and at the plate, bunted for a base hit in the 11th inning.

Hickey was the only other Tulsa batter with more than one hit. The University of Florida catcher was 2-5 with a run scored and an RBI.

TULSA PITCHERS: Sproat, who pitches for the University of Florida, battled his control in his first start of the TCL season. The right-hander allowed just three hits in his three innings of work, but he walked five batters and hit another. Only one of the three runs he surrendered was earned.

Sproat's Florida teammate, Hunter Barco, turned in another dominant performance coming in out of the Tulsa bullpen. The highly-touted lefthander worked five shutout innings without allowing a hit. Barco walked just one batter and struck out eight and has now struck out 16 batters in 8 innings this season.

The University of Nebraska's Colby Gomes pitched the final three innings and suffered the tough-luck loss. He was charged with four runs, but only one was earned because of the three placed runners who scored.

BOXSCORE

UP NEXT: Tulsa and Amarillo will meet again Wednesday night in game two of their three-game set. First pitch at ONEOK Field is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available online by clicking HERE. The game can also be viewed online with a subscription to TCL-TV.

The starting pitchers are scheduled to be:

Amarillo - TBD

Tulsa – LHP Garrett Crowley (0-0, 3.00 ERA)