Mistakes Hurt Drillers in 6-2 Loss
Wichita, KS - Errors were a problem for the Tulsa Drillers on Friday night as the Wichita Wind Surge took advantage of a cluster defensive miscues to hand the Drillers their third consecutive loss. The Wind Surge scored four unearned runs and defeated Tulsa 7-2 Wichita’s Riverfront Stadium. The Propeller
Wichita, KS - Errors were a problem for the Tulsa Drillers on Friday night as the Wichita Wind Surge took advantage of a cluster defensive miscues to hand the Drillers their third consecutive loss. The Wind Surge scored four unearned runs and defeated Tulsa 7-2 Wichita’s Riverfront Stadium.
The Propeller Series presented by Coors Light, is now tied at eight games apiece with 14 games left this season between the two teams.
Tulsa was holding an early 2-1 lead, but the tides changed when starting pitcher Andre Jackson departed, and the four errors played a major role.
The Drillers took the lead with two runs in the fourth inning. Donovan Casey led off with a walk and Carlos Rincon drove him home with a double. Rincon came in to score two batters later, on a single by Romer Cuadrado.
Andrew Bechtold cut Tulsa’s lead in half, hitting a solo home run in the bottom half of the fourth to make it 2-1.
Jackson did not return for the fifth after reaching his pitch limit, only giving up two hits and one run.
Reliever Cyrillo Watson followed, and Wichita loaded the bases when the first three batters reached safely on a hit and two walks. Spencer Steer gave the Wind Surge the lead by driving in two on a single to left. Two more runs came in when catcher Stevie Berman’s attempted pickoff at third ended up in left field and Wichita upped its lead to 5-2.
The Wind Surge loaded the bases again in the sixth, managing to bring one run across on a passed ball for a 6-2 lead.
Following the third error of the game for the Drillers, the Wind Surge scored one more run when BJ Boyd singled up the middle for a 7-2 Wichita lead.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
*The Drillers left the bases loaded twice and went 1-8 with runners in scoring position. For the game, they stranded nine runners on base.
*Three of the four errors committed by Tulsa were throwing errors.
*Andres Noriega made his Drillers debut and finished 0-4.
*Tulsa was limited to only five hits and has just seven hits total in the last two games.
UP NEXT
Tulsa at Wichita on Saturday, July 17 at 6:05 PM at Riverfront Stadium.
The pitching matchup will be Tulsa RHP Bryan Brickhouse (1-2, 2.91 ERA) against Wichita RHP Chris Vallimont (2-4, 3.67 ERA).