Tulsa Drillers Split Doubleheader with Arkansas

Originally Published: Jun 19, 2010 10:29 PM CDT

Oklahoma Sports Staff

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The Tulsa Drillers overcame a four-run deficit to snag a 7-5 victory over Arkansas in the second game of a doubleheader. Tulsa lost the first contest 4-2.

Tulsa 7 Arkansas 5

Jason Van Kooten drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth and scored on the next play to give the Drillers the 7-5 advantage. He started the rally for Tulsa in the bottom of the second inning. Tulsa was staring a 4-0 hole until Van Kooten stepped to the plate and hit a three-run homer. He finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs.

The Travelers applied pressure from the beginning. Arkansas scored one run in the first inning and three in the second. Andrew Romine hit an RBI triple in the fourth to push the Travs lead to 5-3.

Charles Blackmon crossed the plate in the fifth inning to cut the Arkansas advantage to one run. Anthony Jackson scored the game-tying run in the seventh inning.

Scott Rice (2-0) gained the win in relief after throwing 1.1 scoreless innings.

Robert Fish (1-3) was tagged with the loss after giving up two earned runs in an inning of work.

The two teams conclude their series at 6:05 p.m. Sunday.

Arkansas 4 Tulsa 2

In the first game of the day, the Drillers knocked in two late runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it wasn’t enough as the team lost 4-2 to the Arkansas Travelers.

The Travelers’ Abel Nieves hit two homeruns on the day, including a two-run homer in the top of the second to take the lead. Julio Perez hit his fifth home run of the season in the top of the sixth to put Arkansas up 4-0.

The Drillers were unable to answer at the plate until their last few at bats when Warren Schaeffer doubled on a line drive to hit home Wilin Rosario. Tulsa posted one additional run, falling 4-2 at the end of the inning.