The Tulsa Drillers battled out the series split with a 10-2 win against the Springfield Cardinals before 3,955 fans at Hammons Field on Thursday night.
The Cardinals (22-18) close the homestand going 5-3 and lead the Tulsa Drillers and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals by 3.5 games for 1st place in the North Division First Half Standings.
After Cardinals RHP Andrew Morales (L, 3-4) and Tulsa RHP Scott Barlow (W, 2-2) alternated a pair of scoreless stanzas apiece, the Drillers (18-21) swung in front in the top of the third. With one away, Barlow helped his own cause with a double inside the right field line. Morales struck out the next batter for the second out in the frame, but 2B Willie Calhoun sliced a two-run home run that just cleared the left field fence, propelling Tulsa ahead, 2-0.
Morales bounced back with scoreless work in the fourth and fifth, but the Drillers added to the advantage in the top of the sixth. Calhoun sparked the charge with a double to open the inning. One out later, CF Alex Verdugo pulled a two-run home run to right field, doubling the advantage to 4-0. Morales retired C Kyle Farmer with a fly out, but 1B Cody Bellinger extended the inning with a two-out double. LF Jacob Scavuzzo and SS Drew Maggi then connected on consecutive RBI singles, opening the Tulsa lead to 6-0.
Tulsa kept swinging away against the bullpen, plating four runs in the top of the eighth. With one on and one down, Bellinger knocked a two-run shot to right field, increasing the lead to eight runs. Scavuzzo then reached on an error before Maggi worked a walk, leading to RHP Kevin Herget giving way to RHP Joey Donofrio. Donofrio struck out pinch-hitting C Tyler Ogle, but RF Andrew Toles struck with a two-out, two-run double to bring in both runners and make it 10-0.
The Cardinals, though, refused to give in and got on the board in the bottom of the eighth. With LF Nick Thompson on and two away, SS Breyvic Valera reached on an infield single to keep the inning alive. 2B Bruce Caldwell followed with a free pass to load the bases, before 1B Luke Voit ripped an RBI single by 3B Alex Guerrero, bringing in Thompson to make it 10-1.
Facing RHP Caleb Dirks in the bottom of the ninth, Springfield struck again. Leading off the inning, SS Alex Mejia belted a solo blast to left field, his first home run of the year, further chipping the deficit down. However, Dirks retired the next three batters in order, closing the 10-2 win for Tulsa.
