The Springfield Cardinals and Tulsa Drillers exchanged shutouts as they split the doubleheader before 2,645 fans at Hammons Field on Wednesday night. The Drillers took the first seven-inning game, 3-0, before the Cardinals claimed a 3-0 win of their own in the second seven-inning game.
With the split, the Cardinals increase their lead for 1st place in the North Division First Half Standings to 3.5 games over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
Game 1: Tulsa 3 vs. Cardinals 0 – 7 innings
Cardinals RHP Trey Nielsen (L, 4-3) and Drillers RHP Chase De Jong (W, 3-4) battled back and forth with scoreless frame after scoreless frame through the first four, before the Drillers (17-20) swung in front in the top of the fifth. RF Alex Verdugo led off the inning with a single, before taking second base on a wild pitch. One out later, C Paul Hoenecke pulled an RBI single through the right side of the infield, bringing in Verdugo for the 1-0 lead.
Nielsen allowed just the one run through his six innings, but De Jong kept the Cardinals (21-17) at bay to maintain the narrow advantage. After retiring the first 13 batters that he faced in order through his opening 4.1 innings, Springfield mustered a base hit and a walk in the fifth, but De Jong got through it in scoreless fashion.
Following a scoreless sixth from De Jong, the Drillers added two insurance runs in the seventh. RHP Ronnie Shaban opened the inning with a strikeout, but Verdugo and 1B Cody Bellinger knocked back-to-back solo home runs, opening a 3-0 advantage.
De Jong then finished what he started with a scoreless bottom of the seventh, closing the 3-0 win for the Drillers in the first seven-inning game of the day.
Game 2: Cardinals 3 vs. Tulsa 0 – 7 innings
The Cardinals (22-17) jumped in front right out of the gates in Game 2, striking for a run in the bottom of the first against RHP Tim Shibuya (L, 0-1). With one away, SS Alex Mejia scorched a double to left-center field to reach base. He then raced home on an RBI double pelted off the right-center field wall by 3B Paul DeJong, lifting Springfield into the 1-0 lead.
RHP Kurt Heyer (W, 2-2) ensured that the one-run lead held up through his outing, stifling the Drillers (17-21) through five perfect innings in the spot start. Heyer retired all 15 batters that he faced in a row, striking out three along the way.
After a scoreless top of the sixth inning put in by RHP Chris Perry, the Cardinals added to the lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. CF Harrison Bader led off with a single, before moving around to third on consecutive groundouts. With Bader ninety feet away and two down, 2B Bruce Caldwell laid down an RBI bunt single to bring home Bader for the Cardinals second run of the game. Caldwell then advanced to second on a single from RF Collin Radack, putting two on for 1B Chris Jacobs. Jacobs chopped a grounder to third base that 3B Kyle Farmer fielded but threw errantly past first base, enabling everyone to be safe and Caldwell to come flying home, making it 3-0.
RHP Josh Lucas (S, 3) took over for the top of the seventh and promptly slammed the door with a scoreless final frame, closing the 3-0 win for the Cardinals in seven innings.
