Drillers Split Doubleheader With Arkansas

After two straight days of rainouts, the Tulsa Drillers and Arkansas Travelers were finally able to return to action Friday night at ONEOK Field, and each team picked up a victory. The two teams split a doubleheader with Arkansas winning the first game 4-1, and the Drillers taking game two by a score of 5-2. A sellout crowd of 8,553 watched the action in downtown Tulsa.

In Tulsa's game two victory, Kyle Farmer provided much of the offense, but it was Lars Anderson who opened the scoring. His seventh home run of the year in the second inning gave Tulsa a 1-0 lead.

A three-run homer from Farmer in the third upped the margin to four runs. It was the first Double-A home run for the 24-year-old.

The Travelers cut the lead to 4-2 thanks to solo homers from Blake Gailen and Anthony Bemboom in the fourth and fifth innings.

Farmer got one of the runs back when he struck again in the fifth. His two-out double scored Ronald Torreyes who had walked.

Chris Anderson came within one out of a complete game and collected the win to improve his record to 6-4. He allowed the two runs on only four hits while walking one and striking out four.

Jeremy Horst got the final out to collect his fifth save of the season.

In the game one defeat, Ross Stripling made the start on the mound for the Drillers as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Stripling, rated as one of the top pitching prospects in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system, missed all of the 2014 season. Last week, the right-hander allowed only one hit in four shutout innings for Great Lakes in his first outing since his surgery.

Against the Travelers, Stripling again worked four innings, allowing two runs in the first and one more in the second. He finished with the three runs allowed on four hits, while issuing two walks and collecting two strikeouts.

Tulsa's lone run came with two outs in the seventh and final inning when Shawn Zarraga doubled home Farmer who had singled with two outs.

Farmer finished 4-6 in the doubleheader with 4 runs batted in.

The two teams will play another doubleheader Saturday night. Tulsa will start a pair of lefthanders in the twin-bill with major league veteran Eric Stults (1-1, 5.00 ERA) pitching the first game and Rudy Owens (0-0, 4.76 ERA) working game two. The Travelers will counter with Nate Smith (5-4, 3.13 ERA) and Alan Busenitz (1-5, 6.89 ERA). First pitch for the opener is scheduled for 5:05PM.