Drillers Finish Regular Season With Win Over Springfield

The Tulsa Drillers closed out their 2014 regular season road schedule with a 4-3 win Monday night against the Springfield Cardinals.

The win improved Tulsa's road record for the season to 39-31, the most road wins in the Texas League as of the conclusion of Monday night's games.

The scoring in Monday night's game had a noticeable pattern to it. Three times the Drillers scored a run in the top of an inning, and each time the Cardinals responded with a run of their own in the home half of those same innings.

Only in the eighth inning was Tulsa able to break the trend, scoring what would prove to be the game winning run. After Tyler Massey led off the top of the eighth for his third hit of the game, team RBI leader Ryan Casteel furthered his lead by bringing home Massey with a scorched ball to third base which Springfield 3B Patrick Wisdom could not handle.

Ken Roberts pitched a perfect eighth and Cole White worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth to record his 14th save of the season.

The two teams began the one-run exchanges in the second inning. Will Swanner launched his second home run of the season with two outs over the left field wall to put Tulsa up 1-0.

The Cardinals responded with a run on an odd play in the home half of the inning. After consecutive singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs, Patrick Wisdom lined what appeared to be an RBI single to left field. However, although a run did score on the play, Massey was able to field the ball quickly and fire a bullet to third base for the force out, robbing Wisdom of a hit.

Taylor Featherston brought home Delta Cleary Jr. from second with a base hit in the top of the third inning after Cleary Jr. drew a walk and stole second for his 20th steal of the season.

In the bottom of the third, Breyvic Valera singled on a bunt and moved to second when Casteel's attempted throw to first base sailed past Featherston, who was covering first on the bunt. Alex Mejia brought Valera home with a single in the next at-bat, tying the game at 2-2.

The Drillers again took a one-run lead in the seventh inning. Jared Simon singled and then moved to third on a double from Brian Humphries. Simon then scored from third on a wild pitch from Springfield reliever Mitch Harris.

A sac fly from Mejia scored Charlie Tilson from third in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 3-3.

Tulsa starter Jayson Aquino was very effective in his first career game at the AA level. Aquino gave up only two runs in six innings of work on seven hits and two walks while striking out five.

Massey led the Drillers' offense with three hits, while Featherston, Casteel and Swanner picked up an RBI each.