Drillers Start Season With Extra Innings Win

On a beautiful night at ONEOK Field, the Tulsa Drillers began the 2014 season on the right foot with a 5-4 win over Corpus Christi in 11 innings.

With two outs and a runner on third in the bottom of the 11th, Hooks pitcher Travis Ballew threw a wild pitch, allowing Taylor Featherston to score from third, giving the Drillers the win.

Tulsa came into the inning trailing 4-3, thanks to a sacrifice fly from Corpus Christi's Jiovanni Mier in the top of the frame that scored Preston Tucker. The Drillers had runners on second and third with one out when Tom Murphy had an RBI groundout that scored Cristhian Adames, knotting the score at four.

Ken Roberts picked up the win for the Drillers, despite giving up the potential winning run in the top of the 11th inning. Alex Sogard took the loss for Corpus Christi.

The two teams traded runs throughout the night, as Corpus Christi scored runs in the second, sixth and eighth innings to take one-run leads on three occasions. Each time, the Drillers responded with a solo home run. Murphy hit a home run to left field in the fourth inning to knot the score at one. Dustin Garneau homered to left in the seventh inning to tie the game at two and Adames sent the game to extra innings by leading off the ninth inning with a solo shot to right field.

The two teams are back in action Friday night at 7:05 p.m.