RockHounds Beat Stone, Noodlers

TULSA, OK – The Midland RockHounds struck for three early runs Friday night against Gavin Stone and never trailed in defeating the Tulsa Noodlers “a.k.a. the Drillers” 8-2 at ONEOK Field. The two teams have now split the first four game of their six-game series.

BOXSCORE

The RockHounds matched their total offensive output from the previous game in the top of the first inning off Stone. Mickey McDonald opened the game by singling on the second pitch. Stone struck out the next batter, but with one out, Kyle McCann belted his 15th home run of the season to give Midland a 2-0 lead.

Tulsa got one of the runs back in the bottom of the first as Leonel Valera led off with a base hit. With two outs, Brandon Lewis doubled to put runners at second and third. Abiatal Avelino followed with another hit, scoring Valera, but Lewis was thrown out at the plate attempting to tie the score.

Stone gave up his final run in the top of the second inning. Brett Harris singled, stole second and scored on Devin Foyle’s two-out hit to up Midland’s lead to 3-1.

The Drillers again cut their deficit to one run in the third inning. Valera walked, moved to third on a hit from Justin Yurchak and scored on a sacrifice fly from Andy Pages.

After the three early runs, Stone settled in and was dominant. He completed five full innings while throwing a career high 104 pitches. The 3 runs scored on 6 hits and 2 walks, with Stone totaling 11 strikeouts.

Midland added an unearned run in the sixth inning before putting the game away with four more runs in the eighth. The runs came on only one hit as the inning was aided by three walks, a hit batter, a wild pitch and a balk.

The Drillers were held scoreless over the game’s final six innings.

HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:

*Yurchak finished with two hits to extend his hitting streak to eight straight games. In the streak, he has an extra-base hit in each of the eight games and is hitting .407 with 3 home runs and 6 runs batted in.

*Valera and Avelino joined Yurchak with two hits each in the game.

*Tulsa pitchers combined to walk seven batters with five coming in the final two innings.

*With the 11 strikeouts, it marked the fourth time this season that Stone has reached double figures. In 14 games with the Drillers, he has 107 strikeouts in just 73.1 innings pitched.

*Tulsa reliever Tanner Dodson made his first appearance since June 15 after returning from the Development List. It was a successful return as Dodson worked a scoreless seventh inning.

UP NEXT:
The Noodlers will return Saturday night for game five of the six-game series with the RockHounds. Starting time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at ONEOK Field, and the pitching matchup is scheduled to be:

Midland – LHP David Leal (3-4, 5.19 ERA
Tulsa – LHP John Rooney (4-4, 5.14 ERA)