San Antonio 4, Tulsa 1

Monday, September 16th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SAN ANTONIO (AP) _ Rafael Soriano struck out 14 and gave up two hits as the San Antonio Missions won the Texas League championship with a 4-1 victory over the Tulsa Drillers on Sunday in Game 7 of the best-of-7 series.

Aaron Looper came on for the save, giving up one hit and striking out two as the Missions won their ninth title.

The Missions, led by centerfielder Jamal Strong's 3-for-4 outing, got to Drillers starter Travis Hughes early, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

San Antonio scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Greg Dobbs led off the fifth with a single to right, moved to third on a single by Andy Barkett and scored when Ryan Christianson hit a chopper that Drillers shortstop Drew Meyer couldn't come up with.

Tulsa's only run came in the fifth on a triple and a single.

Dobbs was 10-for-23 (.435) for the series, scoring four times and batting in four funs for the Missions.

The Missions won the title after finishing the first half 20 games under .500. The team turned it around in the second half, taking the West Division lead on July 31 and holding through the rest of the season.