Drillers Collapse Leads To Game One Defeat

Chris Swauger hit three home runs, including a two-run homer in the top of the 10th inning, to propel the Springfield Cardinals to an 8-6 win over the Tulsa Drillers Wednesday night.

The win gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five Texas League Division Series. The series matches up the division winner from the first half of the season with the winner of the second half.

The loss snapped the Drillers' nine-game winning streak dating back to August 25, which included a three-game sweep of the Cardinals at the end of the month.

Eric Fornataro picked up the win for Springfield, pitching two scoreless innings. Coty Woods took the loss for Tulsa.

The Drillers came out on fire, scoring two runs in the first on a two-run Nolan Arenado home run, two more in the second, and two more in the third on a two-run homer from Lars Davis.

Tulsa had a solid 6-0 lead, and seemed well on its way to a 1-0 series lead.

However, Springfield wasn't going to go quietly.

Swauger started the fifth inning with a solo homer to left, and Kolten Wong hit an RBI single later in the inning to make the deficit four runs.

In the sixth, Swauger hit another home run to cut the lead to 6-3. Then in the eighth inning, after Oscar Taveras singled and Jamie Romak was hit by a pitch, Greg Garcia tied the score at six with a three-run blast to right field.

Josh Sullivan, the reliable closer for Tulsa who saved 17 games this year, gave up the blast, blowing the save in the process.

Game two will be tomorrow night at ONEOK Field at 7:05 p.m.