Drillers Lead 3-0, Suspended by Rain

The Tulsa Drillers opened a four-game series at <st1:place w:st="on">Northwest Arkansas Thursday night, and it began positively before rain brought an end to the opener. The Drillers carried a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth before a thunderstorm struck Arvest Ballpark. The torrential rain forced the umpires to call for a suspended game, meaning the contest will resume Friday before the regularly scheduled game between the two teams.
The opener is scheduled to restart on Friday at 4:30 p.m. with the game picking up where it was suspended, and the Drillers holding their three-run lead. It will be played to its nine-inning conclusion.  
Friday's regularly scheduled game will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the suspended game, but no earlier than 7:00 p.m. Friday's game is now scheduled to just be seven innings in length.
Chris Parmelee staked the Drillers to a lead in Thursday's opener when he hit his 11th home run of the season in the top of the fourth inning. The solo shot put <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tulsa in front 1-0.
The Drillers padded their lead in the fifth. With two outs and the bases empty, Jared Walker and Drew Avans both singled to put runners at the corners. Avans and Walker then executed a double steal with <st1:city w:st="on">Walker swiping home on the back side for <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tulsa's second run. Omar Estevez followed with a single that plated Avans to give the Drillers a 3-0 lead.
Before the Naturals could come to bat in the bottom of the fifth, rain forced the umpires to call for the tarp from the Arvest Ballpark grounds crew.
UP NEXT:  <st1:city w:st="on">Tulsa at <st1:place w:st="on">Northwest Arkansas. Suspended game at 4:30 p.m. / Regularly scheduled game at 7:00 p.m.