Homers Help Drillers Beat Naturals in Rain-Shortened Game
TULSA, OK – Rain and home runs were the story in Thursday’s meeting between the Tulsa Drillers and Northwest Arkansas at ONEOK Field. The two teams combined to hit four runs in the game that was played in an off-and-on rain. The last and biggest home run came from Tulsa’s
TULSA, OK – Rain and home runs were the story in Thursday’s meeting between the Tulsa Drillers and Northwest Arkansas at ONEOK Field. The two teams combined to hit four runs in the game that was played in an off-and-on rain. The last and biggest home run came from Tulsa’s Griffin Lockwood-Powell in the sixth inning, giving Tulsa a lead that held until rain put a stop to the contest in the middle of the eighth inning, handing the Drillers a 6-4 win in the rain-shortened contest.
The homers began early as Jose Ramos got the Drillers off to a quick start with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning.
Rodolfo Durán matched Ramos in the Naturals’ next at-bat, belting a two-run shot that tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the second.
Another two-run homer in the sixth inning from Luca Tresh put the Naturals in front.
The home run theme continued into the bottom of the sixth, and it put the Drillers back in front to stay. With one out, Brendon Davis singled and scored when Austin Beck followed with a double into the left field corner. After a strikeout and a walk, Lockwood-Powell sliced a drive just inside the right field foul pole for his first home run of the year, putting the Drillers in front 6-4.
The Naturals threatened in the top of the seventh when Tulsa reliever Ben Harris walked the bases loaded with one out. Logan Boyer came on for Harris and escaped the jam with a pair of fly outs that ended the inning.
After Boyer worked a scoreless eighth inning, the rain intensified and forced the grounds crew to put the tarp on the field. After a 30-minute delay, the field was deemed too wet by umpires and both managers, making the game official.
INSIDE THE GAME
*The win was the second straight for the Drillers and evened their season record a 9-9.
*Austin Gauthier led off the first inning for the Drillers with a single, extending his on-base streak to 17 straight games. Gauthier has reached base safely in every game he has played this season.
*The homer by Ramos was his sixth of the season, tying him with the Naturals’ Dillan Shrum for the Texas League lead.
*Tulsa starting pitcher Orlando Ortiz-Mayr worked five innings, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out five.
*Reliever Jake Pilarski was credited with the win despite allowing two runs in one inning of work.
*Boyer was credited with a save, the first of his professional career.
UP NEXT:
The series between the two teams will continue on Friday night with game four of the six-game set. Starting time at ONEOK Field will take place at 7:00 p.m. and the starting pitchers are expected to be:
NWA – RHP Eric Cerantola (1-1, 1.74 ERA)
TUL - RHP Kendall Williams (0-1, 10.45 ERA)