Drillers Set Home Run Record in 88th Win
Springdale, AR – A pair of franchise records were in line to be broken on Saturday night at Arvest Ballpark. The Tulsa Drillers entered just two home runs away from breaking the single-season franchise record, and Jake Gelof was tied for the single-season home run record. The Drillers broke one
Springdale, AR – A pair of franchise records were in line to be broken on Saturday night at Arvest Ballpark. The Tulsa Drillers entered just two home runs away from breaking the single-season franchise record, and Jake Gelof was tied for the single-season home run record. The Drillers broke one of the two records as Joe Vetrano and Elijah Hainline each homered to set a new team, franchise record in their 8-4 victory. The win also extended Tulsa’s win streak to five straight games.
The Drillers have now won ten of their past 11 games. They improved their season record to 88-49, ten more wins than any Drillers team has ever recorded in the franchise's 49-season history.
In Tulsa baseball history, it is the most wins since the 1968 Triple-A Oilers won 95 games. It is also the most victories in all of Minor League Baseball this season.
The Drillers took command of the game by scoring four runs in the third inning. Singles from Jose Izarra and Mike Sirota and a walk to Elijah Hainline loaded the bases, setting up a run-scoring single from Gelof. Kole Myers followed with a sacrifice fly, and Frank Rodriguez doubled to produce Tulsa’s final three runs of the inning.
Tulsa added three more runs one inning later using a solo home run from Vetrano and Hainline’s two-run blast to increase the lead to 7-0.
In the fifth, Izarra drove in Tulsa’s eighth run with his second hit of the night.
Appearing in his 26th game this season, Patrick Copen kept the Naturals scoreless over six innings.
Left-hander Alex Walsh entered out of the bullpen and worked an inning and two thirds and was charged with two runs on RBI singles from Alberto Rodriguez and Connor Scott in the eighth inning.
The Drillers turned to Jacob Kmatz, and he surrendered two home runs in the ninth to Angel Acosta and Alberto Rodriguez to give the Naturals four runs.
Cam Day was the last hurler to enter for Tulsa as he recorded the final out in the ninth to secure the victory.
GAME NOTES
*Vetrano and Hainline’s homers in the fourth inning matched and then set a new Drillers franchise record for home runs hit in a season with 197, topping the 196 hit by the 2022 squad.
*Copen picked up his ninth win with his six scoreless innings, upping his record to 9-7. The Marshall University product gave up two hits and two walks with six strikeouts. It was the first time since June 6 that Copen did not allow a run in a start. Rain cut that start short after pitching one inning.
*Gelof earned two singles and two walks to extend his hitting streak to seven straight games. He has also hit safely in 18 of his last 19 games. He did not homer, keeping him tied for the modern era Tulsa professional baseball record for homers in a season with one game remaining. Gelof’s 33 home runs have him tied with Tim Wheeler, who also hit 33 in the 2011 season.
*McLain singled in the second inning to extend his own hitting streak to 11 straight games.
*For Vetrano and Hainline, their home runs were the 13th of the season for both.
*Kansas City Royals reliever James McArthur made another appearance in his MLB rehab assignment. He completed one scoreless inning and issued a walk with a strikeout.
*Mike Sirota appeared in just his fourth game in September and finished with two hits and scored two runs.
UP NEXT
The Drillers will face off against the Naturals in their final regular season game of the 2026 season on Sunday afternoon. Starting time is set for 2:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
Tulsa – RHP Roque Gutierrez (7-3, 5.59 ERA)
Northwest Arkansas – RHP Ethan Bosacker (0-1, 2.00 ERA)