Drillers Cruise Past RockHounds

The Tulsa Drillers defeated the Midland RockHounds by a final score of 8-5 Thursday night at Security Bank Ballpark. The victory allowed Tulsa to win the series two games to one, improving the Drillers record to 7-2 against Midland this season.

A productive first inning allowed Tulsa to take an early 2-0 lead. After Delta Cleary Jr. led off with a double, he then took off toward third with Ryan Casteel at the plate. Cleary Jr. stole third and then scored when Midland catcher Blake Forsythe's throw to third sailed past third baseman Jefry Marte.

The error proved to be meaningless, as Ryan Casteel blasted his team-leading 15th home run over the left field fence a few pitches later.

Starter Tyler Anderson finally displayed an ounce of humanity in the bottom of the first. Anderson, who had not allowed a run in his previous 4 starts, a combined 23 innings, struggled through the opening frame. D'Arby Myers led off with a single and Conner Crumbliss followed with a two-run homer on a 3-2 count.

The Drillers took a one-run lead in the third inning when Tyler Massey scored from third after Jayson Langfels was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

The Tulsa lead swelled to 5-2 in the top of the fourth inning. Singles from Chris O'Dowd and Casteel put runners on the corners. Tyler Massey followed with an RBI single to score Tulsa's fourth run of the inning. Massey then stole second base, his second steal of the game, and Forsythe again threw errantly, this time past second, allowing Casteel to score.

After both teams exchanged a run each in the fifth inning, the Drillers expanded their lead to 7-3 in the seventh inning when Langfels singled, stole second and scored on a base hit from Cleary Jr.

The Hounds narrowed the gap to three runs when Kent Matthes hit a one-out double in the eighth inning off reliever Ryan Arrowood and came home on a single from Hiroyuki Nakajima.

The two teams again scored a run apiece in the ninth inning, and the Drillers maintained the lead over Midland for the victory.

Anderson settled after the first inning and finished with three earned runs over six innings, picking up his fifth win of the season. The lefty gave up only the two hits in the first inning and walked three while striking out four.

Casteel and Massey each enjoyed big nights. Casteel increased his team lead in home runs, RBI and batting average with three hits on the evening. Massey also accumulated three hits and stole three bases, the most of any Driller in a single game this season.

Cleary Jr. also had a multi-hit night and complemented it with two RBI.

The Drillers will now travel eastward to take on the Frisco RoughRiders for three games.