Drillers Grab Another Extra-Innings Win

Tulsa and Corpus Christi played a back-and-forth game Sunday afternoon at ONEOK Field, but the Drillers eventually delivered the final blow. In the bottom of the 13th inning, Brian Humphries drove home Tyler Massey with a base hit to centerfield and to give Tulsa a 4-3 walk-off win over the Hooks.

It was the third extra-innings game in the past five days for the Drillers, and it was only one inning short of their 1-0 victory in 14 innings over San Antonio Friday night. The game tied for the fourth longest in ONEOK Field history.

The game-ending rally began when Massey grounded a one-out single into right field. Harold Riggins then drew a walk from Hooks' reliever Travis Ballew to put runners at first and second. Humphries hit Ballew's first pitch into centerfield, sending Massey home and the Drillers into a celebration.

Humphries game-winning hit ended a contest in which both teams led at various points.

The Drillers opened the game's scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Ryan Casteel led off with a double that extended his hitting streak to 14 straight games. Andrew Alpin robbed Massey of an extra-base hit when he made a leaping catch before slamming into the padded wall in the right field corner, but one batter later, Jared Simon was able to bring Casteel home with a lined single to centerfield.

Tulsa starter Jon Gray worked three scoreless innings before running into trouble in the fourth. Delino DeShields led off with a single, and Jonathan Meyer drew a one-out walk. After a double steal, Leo Heras tied the game with a bloop-single that perfectly countered the Drillers' shifted defense and fell into shallow right field between Simon and Taylor Featherston. An infield ground out by Carlos Perdomo plated Meyer to give the Hooks a 2-1 lead.

Riggins evened the score in the sixth inning. The first baseman belted his first home run since June 3 and his seventh of the season to tie the game at 2-2.

The Drillers went back in front with another run in the seventh. David Bergin led off with a single, his first hit at the Double-A level. With Joey Wong pinch-running, a wild pitch moved him into scoring position. After David Kandilas struck out, Featherston rolled a grounder just out of the reach of shortstop Jiovanni Mier that brought Wong home with the go-ahead run. Featherston, running hard out of the batter's box, slid safely into second with a double.

The Hooks tied it up again in the eighth. Kraig Sitton walked DeShields to open the inning, and with one out, he hit Meyer with a pitch. The Drillers nearly escaped the trouble when Heras hit a bouncer to the left of Featherston at second. Meyer was forced at second, but shortstop Trevor Story's throw to first pulled Riggins off the bag to keep the inning alive. Perdomo followed with a soft liner off the bat handle that dropped safely and rolled just past first base. DeShields jogged home on the hit to again tie the game.

With a pitching staff that has been taxed with extra innings, Sitton and Nate Striz provided big innings for pitching coach Darryl Scott. Sitton allowed only one hit in three shutout innings, while Striz surrendered two hits in three scoreless frames. Striz picked up the win to improve his record to 2-0.

Gray pitched well but was victimized by the two runs in the fourth. The Chandler, Oklahoma native went five innings, allowing the two runs on four hits. He walked two and picked up five strikeouts.

The Drillers will close out their homestand Monday night. The game will feature the annual Independence Holiday Fireworks Spectacular at ONEOK Field with the largest display of the season. Tyler Anderson (3-3, 2.74 ERA) is the slated starting pitcher for Tulsa, while Brady Rodgers (3-9, 4.56 ERA) will pitch for the Hooks. Starting time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.