USC Duo Leads Drillers Over Twins
Texarkana, TX- USC Trojan teammates John Beller and Jamal O’Guinn shined in Texarkana Sunday night as the Tulsa Drillers put up nine runs and again recorded 19 strikeouts in a 9-2 win over the Twins. With the victory, the Drillers took the three-game series two games to one. The result
Texarkana, TX- USC Trojan teammates John Beller and Jamal O’Guinn shined in Texarkana Sunday night as the Tulsa Drillers put up nine runs and again recorded 19 strikeouts in a 9-2 win over the Twins. With the victory, the Drillers took the three-game series two games to one.
The result also moved Tulsa back into a first-place tie with the Amarillo Sod Dogs atop the North Division standings. Both teams have 4-2 records.
Beller was making his second appearance of the season, but his first start, and it was stellar. The lefty pitched three perfect innings, allowing no hits and striking out six of the nine batters he faced.
The Drillers staked Beller to an early lead, scoring six runs in the second, matching their biggest inning of the season. The scoring started with a solo home run by O’Guinn, his second of the season. Tulsa scored five more runs in the inning on two wild pitches, a two-run double by Alec Sanchez, and an RBI double by O’Guinn in his second at-bat in the inning.
Texarkana’s only runs came in the fourth when Charlie Welch hit a two-run home run to left center-field off reliever Cade Winquest, bringing the score to 6-2. Welch was a catcher on Tulsa manager Tom Holliday’s Cape Cod League team last summer.
Tulsa tacked on three more runs in the fifth. With a runner on first Aidan Nagle singled and a throwing error brought O’Guinn in to score. Max Hewitt singled to bring in Nagle. Kentucky’s Jaden Brown singled one batter later and a second throwing error brought in Hueston Morrill, extending the Drillers lead to 9-2.
The lead would prove to be enough as Winquest and Zach Maxwell pitched the middle innings, striking out a combined seven batters.
OSU’s Bryce Osmond took the mound in the seventh and finished out the game with three hitless and scoreless innings, striking out six. Osmond, who started the season opener and picked up the win, collected his first save with the outing. He has not allowed a hit in six combined innings this year.
TULSA HITTERS: O’Guinn hit his second home run in two games. Sanchez, O’Guinn and Brown each had two hits in the game. The Drillers 10 hits matched their season high.
TULSA PITCHERS: The 19 strikeouts for Tulsa pitchers also matched a season high. Beller earned his first win of the season. Maxwell retired both batters he faced to finish out the sixth inning.
UP NEXT: The Drillers return to Tulsa Tuesday, July 7 to face the Amarillo Sod Dogs in a three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and ticket can be purchased by clicking HERE. The game can also be viewed online with a subscription to TCL-TV.