Tulsa Drillers Use Long Ball To Down Springfield

Corey Dickerson hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to propel the Tulsa Drillers to an 8-4 victory over the Springfield Cardinals Friday night.

The four-game series is the last for both teams before the All-Star break.

Warren Schaeffer went 3-4 with two doubles, and Josh Rutledge went 4-5 with two doubles to lead the Drillers offensively.

Chris Swauger went 3-4 with a solo home run to pace the Cardinals.

The Drillers pounded out 13 hits and got the win despite going just 5-19 with runners in scoring position. Tulsa also left nine runners on base.

Springfield was even worse, going a measly 2-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners.

Zach Simons got the win for Tulsa, while Justin Wright took the loss for Springfield. Coty Woods picked up his 14th save of the year for the Drillers.

Springfield struck first with two runs in the second inning, but Tulsa responded with two runs of their own to tie the game in the bottom of the third. Schaeffer doubled to lead off the inning before Rutledge singled him home. Two batters later, Nolan Arenado singled to bring home Rutledge.

The Drillers tacked on another run in the fifth and another in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead heading into the seventh inning.

The lead didn't last long, as Oscar Taveras and Swauger led off the seventh inning by hitting back-to-back solo home runs for the Cardinals, knotting the score at four a piece.

Tulsa responded in the bottom half of the frame with Dickerson's home run, and extended the lead to four runs with another two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth, this one of the pinch-hit variety from Kiel Roling.

Tulsa put two more runners on in the eighth, but was unable to bring any of them home.

The Drillers and Cardinals will go at it again on Saturday night, with first pitch set for 7:05 pm.