Drillers Stay Perfect on the Road with Extra-Innings Victory
WICHITA, KS – It wasn’t easy, but the Tulsa Drillers kept their undefeated road record intact Wednesday afternoon. In a game starved for offensive action, Tulsa’s Jose Ramos delivered a run-scoring single with one out in the top of the eleventh inning to plate what proved to be the winning
WICHITA, KS – It wasn’t easy, but the Tulsa Drillers kept their undefeated road record intact Wednesday afternoon. In a game starved for offensive action, Tulsa’s Jose Ramos delivered a run-scoring single with one out in the top of the eleventh inning to plate what proved to be the winning run in a 2-1 victory over the Wichita Wind Surge at Riverfront Stadium.
The win kept the Drillers road record perfect at 5-0 and improved their season record back above .500 at 6-5.
Held without a hit since the third inning, the Drillers’ finally got a timely base knock from Ramos in the 11th inning to produce the victory. After neither team could score in the tenth, placed runner Taylor Young began the eleventh at second base. Dalton Rushing popped out leading off the inning, bringing Ramos to the plate. The Tulsa outfielder came through with a ground ball single into left field that plated Young and gave the Drillers the lead.
They missed a chance to add an insurance run when Brendon Davis followed with another single, just their fourth hit of the day, but a ground out and a fly out ended the inning with the Tulsa lead at one run.
The missed opportunity did not prove costly as reliever Jack Little made quick work of the Wind Surge in the bottom of the eleventh. Little needed only eight pitches to get a strikeout, a fly out and a pop out to close the victory.
The Drillers never trailed in the game after plating the game’s first run in the top of the second inning without the need of a hit. A pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases, and Brandon Lewis delivered a sacrifice fly that put Tulsa in front 1-0.
Wichita tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when Kala’i Rosario led off with a base hit and eventually scored on a single from Kyler Fedko.
It would be the only run of the game for the Surge as the Tulsa bullpen combined to work 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing four hits with seven strikeouts.
Little retired all six batters he faced in extra innings and picked up the victory to become the first Tulsa pitcher with two wins on the season.
INSIDE THE GAME
*Former Oklahoma State Cowboys lefthander Justin Wrobleski had another good outing on the mound. In his third start this season for the Drillers, Wrobleski worked 4.1 innings and was charged with one run on four hits, while walking one and striking out four. He departed with one out in the fifth inning and runners at first and second with the lead runner eventually coming in to score. Wrobleski’s ERA stands at 1.88 through 14.1 innings pitched this season.
*Young’s eight-game hitting streak came to an end with a 0-4 afternoon. It was the first time this season that Taylor has been held hitless in a game that he started. Despite the hitless game, Young’s batting average is at a team-leading .342.
*Tulsa pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts in the game. It marked the ninth time in 11 games this year that the staff has reached double figures in strikeouts.
*Reliever Jack Dreyer pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, and Ryan Sublette worked one shutout inning. Neither hurler has yet to surrender a run this season.
*The extra-innings contest was the fourth game this year for the Drillers that took over three hours to complete. They did not play their fourth three-hour game last year until June 2.
UP NEXT:The six-game series between the two teams will continue with game three on Thursday night in Wichita. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Riverfront Stadium, and the starting pitchers are slated to be:
TUL - RHP Ben Casparius (0-1, 5.40 ERA)
WCH- RHP Travis Adams (1-1, 7.04 ERA)