CF Harrison Bader belted two solo home runs as part of a four-hit performance, helping lead the Springfield Cardinals to the 4-2 win against the Tulsa Drillers before 4,299 fans at ONEOK Field on Tuesday night. With the win and a Northwest Arkansas Naturals loss, the Cardinals are back in 1st place by 0.5 games.
Bader added a triple and a single to his two home runs, tying the Springfield all-time record with 12 total bases in the game. He is the third Cardinal this season to hit two home runs in one game, joining 2B Bruce Caldwell and 3B Paul DeJong.
The Cardinals (17-15) came out swinging in the top of the first inning against RHP Chase De Jong (L, 2-4). On the game’s first pitch, Bader unloaded a leadoff solo home run to left field, his sixth homer of the year, lifting Springfield ahead right away. One out later, 1B Luke Voit worked a walk, before racing all the way home on an RBI double drilled to left-center by 3B Paul DeJong, making it 2-0.
The Drillers (12-19) bounced back with one run in the bottom of the first against RHP Mike Mayers (W, 3-2). RF Andrew Toles led off the frame with a base hit to center field. After moving to second on a groundout, Toles came darting home on an RBI single by C Kyle Farmer, chipping the Drillers deficit to 2-1.
Mayers dug in throughout the remainder of his outing, keeping the Cardinals one-run lead intact before Springfield stretched it back out in the top of the seventh. With two down, Bader struck again. This time, he crushed a solo home run to right field, swatting his team-leading seventh long-ball of the year. 2B Bruce Caldwell then singled himself on and took second on a wild pitch. Caldwell then came flying home on an RBI single from Voit, stretching the Cardinals lead to 4-1.
Mayers wrapped up his outing one out into the bottom of the seventh, finishing with just the one run allowed on six hits. LHP Corey Littrell took over with two on and one down, and navigated Springfield out of the seventh in scoreless fashion. Littrell then worked around a double to post a scoreless eighth, keeping it a 4-1 lead for Springfield.
RHP Ronnie Shaban (S, 5) took over to try to slam the door in the bottom of the ninth, but the Drillers refused to go without a fight. After a pair of quick outs, pinch-hitting C Paul Hoenecke skied a solo shot to right field, bringing Tulsa within two runs. However, Shaban bounced back with a fly out from Toles for the final out, closing the 4-2 win for the Cardinals.
