The San Antonio Missions evened the series with a narrow 5-4 win against the Springfield Cardinals before 3,801 fans on Friday at Wolff Stadium.
2B Bruce Caldwell continued a torrid start to the season, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double. Caldwell is 5-for-6 with four RBIs to start the year. Meanwhile, CF Harrison Bader added three more singles on Friday, going 5-for-9 through his first two Double-A games.
The Missions (1-1) jumped in front early with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first against RHP Trey Nielsen (L, 0-1), who made his Double-A debut for Springfield. CF Auston Bousfield started the stanza by being hit by a pitch. After a fly out, LF Nick Torres pulled a two-run home run to left field, swinging the Missions into the 2-0 advantage.
The Cardinals (1-1) responded in part right away, getting on the board in the top of the second against RHP Bryan Rodriguez. RF David Washington began the inning with a triple scorched down the right field line. He then darted home on an RBI groundout from C Carson Kelly, slicing the deficit to 2-1.
After a solo shot by Missions 2B Taylor Lindsey in the bottom of the third made it 3-1, Springfield again responded with a run in the top of the fourth. With one down, Washington worked a walk to spark the charge. Kelly followed with his first Double-A base hit, before Caldwell brought Washington home with an RBI single to make it just a 3-2 lead for San Antonio.
However, the Missions once again extended the lead with a pair of tallies in the bottom of the fourth. A Bousfield single, a SS Jose Rondon walk and a hit batter loaded the bases with no outs. Nielsen battled back by inducing a grounder to second that Caldwell fielded and fired home, retiring Bousfield at the plate. However, the Missions would go on to plate two runs on a passed ball and a run-scoring fielder's choice, padding the lead to three runs, 5-2.
LHP Corey Littrell made his Springfield debut by retiring the final two outs in the troublesome fourth, starting a stretch of 4.2 scoreless frames from the bullpen. Littrell also dealt a 1-2-3 fifth inning, keeping Springfield within striking distance.
The Cardinals began chipping away once again in the top of the sixth against RHP Kyle Lloyd (W, 1-0). Caldwell began the frame with a walk, followed by a single from CF C.J. McElroy, Jr. After both runners advanced on a groundout to the mound, Caldwell darted home on a Lloyd wild pitch to make it 5-3.
RHP Joey Donofrio kept it a two-run game with scoreless work in the sixth and seventh, before the Cardinals went back on the attack in the top of the eighth. Facing RHP Eric Yardley, Caldwell again got the rally started, this time ripping a double to right field. After staying at second on a McElroy, Jr. infield single, Caldwell moved to third when pinch-hitting OF Collin Radack bounced into a fielder's choice. Bader then struck with his third single of the night, plating Caldwell for his first Double-A RBI and bringing Springfield within one run. With two on and only one down, Yardley escaped with an inning-ending double play from SS Breyvic Valera, keeping the Missions narrowly ahead, 5-4.
RHP Josh Lucas dealt a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, but San Antonio RHP Jason Jester (S, 1) followed suit with a three-batter bottom of the ninth, and the Missions hung on for the 5-4 win.
