Stone Helps Drillers Snap Skid
SPRINGDALE, AR – The Tulsa Drillers snapped a four-game skid on Thursday night as they defeated the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 3-0 at Arvest Ballpark. The Drillers took an early lead in the second inning and held it for the remainder of the game. A pitching duel developed early in the
SPRINGDALE, AR – The Tulsa Drillers snapped a four-game skid on Thursday night as they defeated the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 3-0 at Arvest Ballpark.
The Drillers took an early lead in the second inning and held it for the remainder of the game. A pitching duel developed early in the contest, as Gavin Stone and Dante Biasi went head-to-head for five innings. Stone ultimately prevailed with a six-inning shutout and eight strikeouts. A strong eighth inning by the Drillers sealed the win, as they extended their lead to three runs.
The Drillers struck first in the top of the first inning with an RBI single to left field from Kody Hoese that drove in Jeren Kendall from second base.
Stone got the nod to start on the mound for the Drillers for the seventh time this season. He started strong as he sat down 11 batters in a row from the second to the fifth inning. Stone finished with six shutout innings and eight strikeouts, six walks, and three hits allowed.
Tulsa had a promising start in the top of the second with a lead-off double from Justin Yurchak and an HBP by Leonel Valera, but both runners were stranded after a strikeout, and a flyout ended the inning.
Northwest Arkansas earned its first hit of the game in the bottom of the second inning after Tucker Brandley bunted a grounder to Stone and beat the throw to the Yurchack at first. However, the Naturals fared the same as the Drillers, also stranding two runners on base in the inning.
The Naturals threatened again in the fifth inning. A line drive base hit with runners on first and second from Tyler Gentry fell in front of Jonny DeLuca in left field. DeLuca threw a laser to Carson Taylor at home plate to spoil Maikel Garcia’s attempt to tie the game. Valera snapped the Drillers hitless streak with a line-drive single to center field in the top of the seventh inning. DeLuca added on with a ground ball softly hit in front of the catcher Sebastian Rivera that loaded the bases for the Drillers with one out. However, the bases remained loaded to end the inning, as a pair of pop ups halted the Drillers momentum.
Nick Robertson replaced Stone for his 28th relief appearance of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Naturals threatened with the tying run on third base with two outs, but Robertson struck out the catcher Logan Porter to end the inning and keep the score 1-0 in favor of the Drillers.
In the top of the eighth, Taylor crossed home from third on a wild pitch from Yefri Del Rosario during Valera’s at-bat to extend the Dillers lead to 2-0. On the next pitch, Valera drove in Devin Mann from third with an RBI single to right field, making the score 3-0.
Guillermo Zuniga replaced Robertson in the bottom of the eighth inning for his 29th appearance of the 2022 campaign. He racked up two strikeouts and left a runner stranded in his one-inning appearance.
A single from Hoese and walks from Andy Pages and Carson Taylor loaded the bases for the Drillers with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. However, they could not add to their lead as a groundout ended the inning.
Jordan Leasure was called from the bullpen to close the game for the Drillers in the bottom of the ninth. He retired the Naturals in order to earn his second save of the season.
HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:
*Stone picked up his fifth win of the season, making his record 5- 2. He had eight strikeouts and allowed only three hits in the shutout.
*Valera had a perfect day at the plate, as he went 2-for-2 and reached on all four of his at-bats in the game.
*Hoese also had a pair of hits, as he went 2-for-5 from the plate with an RBI.
*Yurchak extended his hitting streak to four games with his double in the second inning.
*The Drillers recorded nine hits in the game and plated three runs, but they left 13 baserunners stranded.
UP NEXT:
The Drillers and Naturals will continue their six-game series on Friday night at Arvest Ballpark. Starting time for game four of the series is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and the pitching matchup is expected to be:
Tulsa – TBA
NWA – RHP Noah Murdock (0-3, 9.77 ERA)