LF Oscar Mercado provided the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 12th to lift the Springfield Cardinals to the 4-3 walk-off win against the Arkansas Travelers before 6,629 fans at Hammons Field on Saturday night.
Both Cardinals LHP Austin Gomber and Travelers RHP Dylan Unsworth dueled back and forth with scoreless work through their first four frames, before Arkansas (1-4, 33-42) struck first in the top of the fifth. With one away, 2B Adam Law got all the way to second base on a bunt single that Gomber fielded but fired past first for a throwing error. A groundout moved Law to third, before CF Ian Miller brought him home with an RBI single placed to shallow left-center field, opening the 1-0 lead for Arkansas.
The Cardinals (3-2, 38-37), however, battled right back in the bottom of the fifth against Unsworth. C Gabriel Lino got the Cardinals bats going with a one-out double powered to right field. One out later, 2B Dickie Joe Thon pelted a two-out RBI double off the top of the left field fence, bringing home Lino for the 1-1 tie.
Springfield then swung in front in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one away, CF Oscar Mercado singled himself on. After Mercado stole his league-leading 27th base of the season, he came flying home from second base on an RBI double from 3B Bruce Caldwell, lifting the Cardinals into the 2-1 advantage.
Gomber tossed a scoreless seventh to preserve the one-run lead, but the Travs battled it back even in the top of the eighth. With two down, LF Chuck Taylor lined a solo shot just over the right field fence, squaring the score at 2-2.
Arkansas then seized the late lead in the top of the ninth against RHP Landon Beck. DH Dario Pizzano led off with a walk, before Beck battled back with a strikeout. Pizzano scooted to second on a wild pitch, and then moved to third base on a single from 1B Ryan Casteel. A second wild pitch in the frame then allowed Pizzano to dart home from third base, lifting the Travs ahead, 3-2.
The Cardinals, though, refused to go down, rallying in the bottom of the ninth against LHP Zac Curtis. C Gabriel Lino led off with a single. INF Casey Turgeon pinch-ran for Lino and promptly swiped second base. With Turgeon in scoring position, Curtis dug in with a fly out to center field and a strikeout, forcing the Cardinals down to their final out. CF Magneuris Sierra came through with a two-out RBI double to left-center, bringing in Turgeon to tie the game, 3-3, and force extra innings.
Making his season debut with Springfield, RHP Andrew Morales took over to start the top of the 10th inning and dealt 2.2 hitless and scoreless frames, striking four and keeping it tied through two outs in the top of the 12th. With one on and two down in the frame, RHP Tyler Bray (W, 3-0) came out of the bullpen. Bray issued a walk to CF Ian Miller, but then got Taylor to groundout, getting Springfield out of the inning with the 3-3 tie intact.
The Cardinals then dealt the final blow in the bottom of the 12th. With one away, Sierra laced a single through the left side of the infield, his third hit of the night. After stealing second base, Sierra took off for third on a wild pitch. RHP Brett Ash (L, 5-6) struck out SS Tommy Edman for the second out of the inning, but Mercado came through with an RBI single up the middle to score Sierra and send the Cardinals to the 4-3 walk-off win in 12 innings.
