Texarkana Rallies Late to Defeat Drillers
Texarkana, TX- The Tulsa Drillers put together their biggest offensive outing of the season Saturday night in Texarkana, but it was not enough to produce a victory. The Drillers led 12-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Twins rallied with ten runs in their final two at-bats
Texarkana, TX- The Tulsa Drillers put together their biggest offensive outing of the season Saturday night in Texarkana, but it was not enough to produce a victory. The Drillers led 12-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Twins rallied with ten runs in their final two at-bats to post a 15-12 win. Texarkana took advantage of 13 walks issued by Tulsa pitchers to post its first win of the season.
The loss snapped the Drillers two-game winning streak.
The night began promisingly for the Drillers as they opened the game with what was at the time their biggest inning of the season, scoring four times in the top of the first inning on only one hit. After loading the bases when the first three batters reached safely, a passed ball, a sacrifice fly and a pair of bases-loaded walks gave Tulsa an early 4-0 lead.
The Twins scored single runs in both the second and third innings and two more in the fourth to tie the game before the Drillers’ bats came to life.
Tulsa retook the lead in the fifth when Florida International’s Alec Sanchez singled and eventually scored on a base hit by Aidan Nagle.
The Drillers seemed to have put the game away in the sixth, topping their four-run first inning with six runs. OSU’s Hueston Morrill started the big inning with a leadoff double, and Cowboy teammate Max Hewitt followed with a base hit. Morrill scored on a fielder’s choice ground out, and Hewitt came home on a base hit by USC’s Ben Ramirez. With two outs and two runners on, Jamal O’Guinn, another Trojan, belted his first home run of the season just to the left of the hitter’s background. Nagle, from Lewis-Clark State, followed with a blast over the fence in straightway centerfield to put the Drillers in front 11-4.
Texarkana scored one run in the sixth and Tulsa added another run in the top of the seventh before things started unravel in the bottom of the inning. The Twins sent 13 batters to the plate and scored six times to cut the Drillers lead to 12-11.
The Twins completed their comeback with four more runs in the eighth. A run-scoring single by Tyler Trovinger tied the game, and a two-run double from Charlie Welch put Texarkana in front.
With the loss, the Drillers record fell to 3-2.
TULSA HITTERS: It was the first multiple home run game of the season for the Drillers. They also set season highs in most offensive categories, including with the 12 runs. Their 10 hits were also a season best.
Sanchez, Nagle and Ramirez led the attack with two hits each.
O’Guinn and Nagle drove in three runs apiece.
TULSA PITCHERS: It was a tough night on the mound for Drillers hurlers, but it was promising outing for ORU’s Adam Tulloch. Tulloch made his first start of the year and allowed two runs, only one earned, in three innings.
Wyatt Morrill suffered the loss for the Drillers.
Tulsa pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts, the fourth time in five games that the staff has reach double figures in strikeouts.
UP NEXT: Tulsa will play the final game of its three-game series in Texarkana on Sunday night. First pitch against the Twins is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The game can be viewed online with a subscription to TCL-TV.