Springfield, MO – RHP Daniel Poncedeleon and RHP Josh Lucas combined to lead the 1st-Half North Division Champion Springfield Cardinals to the 2-0 shutout win against the Tulsa Drillers before 3,542 fans at Hammons Field on Wednesday night. The Cardinals swept the Drillers in the three-game series, closing the homestand with a 6-1 record through the seven games.
St. Louis Cardinals All-Star INF Matt Carpenter concluded his Rehab Assignment in Springfield, going 4-for-12 with a home run, a double, an RBI and two runs through the four games that he played.
Both Cardinals RHP Daniel Poncedeleon (W, 8-6) and Drillers RHP Seth Frankoff (L, 0-3) dueled back and forth with five scoreless innings apiece. Poncedeleon came out and put up another scoreless inning in the sixth, limiting the Drillers (18-22, 55-54) to just one hit through six scoreless innings to keep it tied.
After Frankoff had kept the Cardinals (19-21, 60-50) in check through his first five frames, Springfield broke through in the bottom of the sixth. With two away, 3B Jacob Wilson crushed his fourth home run of the homestand, a solo shot to left field to swing Springfield in front. CF Nick Martini followed with a walk, before stealing his way to second base. Martini then took off for third on a pitch that 1B Jonathan Rodriguez laced back up the middle, bringing in Martini with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
Poncedeleon kept the two-run lead intact with a scoreless start to the seventh, exiting with one on and two down. RHP Josh Lucas finished the inning-ending strikeout of CF Alex Verdugo, closing the frame and closing Poncedeleon's line. The All-Star finished with 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit with three walks.
Lucas then worked around a pair of singles and an intentional walk in the scoreless eighth inning, inducing an inning-ending groundout that was played by Carpenter to get out of the jam. Lucas finished his outing with a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, slamming the door on the Drillers and closing the 2-0 shutout win for Springfield.
Click here for the complete box score from Wednesday's game.
