Drillers Rally Falls Short In San Antonio

The San Antonio Missions overcame three errors and a late Tulsa Drillers rally to hold on for a 5-4 victory Saturday night.

Down 5-2 in the eighth inning, the Drillers scored two runs in the top of the frame to cut the lead to 5-4. The runs came on three doubles from Josh Rutledge, Corey Dickerson, and Kent Matthes. Dickerson's ground-rule double scored Rutledge, and after two consecutive strikeouts, Matthes' double scored Dickerson.

The Drillers were able to get a runner on in the ninth inning when Jose Gonzalez singled, but the Drillers failed twice to move him into scoring position, and Rutledge struck out looking to end the game.

San Antonio starter Hayden Beard got the win, pitching six innings for the Missions. Tulsa starter Parker Frazier took the loss for the Drillers, giving up five runs on ten hits in six innings.

Jeudy Valdez led the Missions offensively, going 3-4 with two RBIs on a two-run home run in the second inning.

Ben Paulsen and Matthes each had two hits for the Drillers, with Matthes driving in three runs.

Tulsa started the scoring in the top of the second inning with a Matthes single scoring Paulsen.

San Antonio responded in the bottom of the inning when Valdez clubbed his home run to center field. Later in the inning, Reymond Fuentes singled to right, scoring Robert Kral and giving the Missions a 3-1 lead.

After Tulsa cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the sixth, San Antonio tacked on two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to extend the lead back to three runs, at 5-2.

The Drillers kick off July looking to salvage one of the three games in the series. First pitch will be at 6:05 p.m.