Drillers Match Franchise Record in Big Win

August 5, 2022 – Texas League (TL) – Tulsa Drillers News Release

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Tulsa Drillers produced one of the biggest offensive game’s in franchise history Thursday night, and it helped them break a two-game losing streak. The offensive number resembled a slow-pitch softball game as the Drillers matched a franchise record with 23 runs thanks in large part to a 6-run inning and a 7-run inning. The result was a 23-7 win over Northwest Arkansas at Arvest Ballpark.

The Drillers had 21 hits, their most in a game since the 2011 season. They had five home runs, three triples and three doubles.

Ryan Ward and Leonel Valera accounted for much of the damage. They both homered and drove in four runs each in the victory. Andy Pages had four hits and three runs batted in, and Jonny DeLuca finished with three hits, three runs batted in and four runs scored.

The big night started in the first inning when the Drillers scored the game’s first two runs with help from an error from the Naturals.

It was an early indication of what was to come as the Drillers scored in each of the first five innings and in seven of the nine.

They added two more runs in the second when DeLuca tripled home a run and scored himself on a base hit from Ward.

Justin Yurchak hit his fourth home run of the season to account for the third inning run, and DeLuca hit a solo homer in the fourth to up Tulsa’s run total to six.

Early on, the Naturals matched the Drillers with six runs of their own through the first four innings, but they could not keep up.

Tulsa finally went in front to stay with its seven-run inning in the fifth. A double from Brandon Lewis plated the first run, and Valera tripled home two more. Following a run-scoring hit from Carson Taylor, Abiatal Avelino hit a two-run homer to account for runs five and six. Later in the inning, Pages singled home the seventh run to give the Drillers a 13-6 lead.

After a scoreless sixth inning, the offensive show resumed with six more runs in the top of the seventh. Ward plated the first three with his Double-A leading 27th home run of the year. Following another run-scoring hit from Lewis, Valera struck again with a two-run homer to up the lead to 19-6.

The Drillers matched the franchise record for runs in a game by adding four more in the top of the eighth. DeLuca singled home the first run before a triple from Pages plated two more. The 23rd and record-tying run was scored by Pages when he came home on a base hit from Yurchak.

The Drillers…