Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa Drillers evened the series at a game apiece with the 5-0 win against the Springfield Cardinals before 4,371 fans at ONEOK Field on Sunday afternoon.
Facing the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April, RHP Andrew Morales (L, 3-2), the Drillers (11-18) swung in front in the bottom of the first inning. With two away, 1B Cody Bellinger worked a walk to extend the inning. LF Jacob Scavuzzo then connected for an RBI triple past the diving CF Harrison Bader in left-center to crack the scoreless tie. Scavuzzo came in the final ninety feet when CF Alex Verdugo chopped an RBI single up the middle, making it 2-0.
Tulsa doubled the early advantage with two more tallies in the bottom of the second. With one down, SS Drew Maggi pulled a solo home run just over the left field fence. One out later, RF Andrew Toles doubled himself on, before racing home on an RBI base hit from 3B Kyle Farmer, extending the Tulsa lead to 4-0.
Morales kept the Drillers from adding to the lead through the scoreless third and fourth, before giving way to RHP Joey Donofrio with the bases loaded and two down in the fifth. Donofrio navigated the Cardinals (16-14) out of the jam unscathed, keeping it only a 4-0 deficit.
However, Tulsa RHP Trevor Oaks (W, 2-1) kept the Cardinals bats at bay, tossing six scoreless innings.
The Drillers then added a fifth run in the bottom of the seventh against RHP Chris Thomas. With one on and one down, 2B Willie Calhoun struck with an RBI double, increasing the lead to 5-0.
Thomas bounced back with a scoreless eighth, but the Drillers received scoreless work from LHP Jordan Schafer in the bottom of the eighth and RHP Caleb Dirks in the bottom of the ninth to claim the 5-0 win on Sunday.
