Drillers Win Behind Second Straight Shutout

April 20, 2023 – Texas League (TL) – Tulsa Drillers News Release

Tulsa Drillers’ Nick Nastrini in action
(Tulsa Drillers)

Tulsa, OK- The Tulsa Drillers pitching staff once again shined on Thursday night, as for the second consecutive game, the staff tossed a shutout against the Wichita Wind Surge at ONEOK Field. The 3-0 win was the Drillers third shutout of the season. Wichita has now been held scoreless by Tulsa pitchers for 19 consecutive innings.

Tulsa scored early when Jonny DeLuca opened the scoring with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first inning. It was his second homer of the season.

Tulsa scored its second run one inning later. Diego Cartaya led off with a double and moved to third on a single from Jose Ramos. Cartaya came home on a wild pitch from Wichita pitcher Travis Adams, giving the Drillers a 2-0 lead.

Added to the roster from Extended Spring Training on Thursday, pitcher Nick Nastrini made his first start of the season for the Drillers. He began his outing by retiring the side in order in the first inning, and then escaped a bases-loaded no-out jam in the second inning on a strikeout, a short fly ball and a second strikeout to keep the shutout intact.

Kyle Hurt took over for Nastrini in the fourth inning and kept Wichita scoreless for the next two frames, recording five strikeouts.

The Drillers lead expanded to 3-0 in the fifth when Jorbit Vivas drove in the third run with a double to right-center field.

Trevor Bettencourt was the third Tulsa hurler to enter the game. Bettencourt kept Wichita off the bases by working two perfect innings with two strikeouts.

Braydon Fisher, another new face to the Drillers pitching staff, made his Double-A debut in the eighth inning. The Texas native pitched the final two innings, earning his first save of 2023 and the third save of his professional career.

HIGHLIGHTS AND HAPPENINGS:

*Vivas extended his hitting streak to 12 games with his single in the first inning. He is now batting .367 for the season.

*Drillers starting pitchers have allowed just eight earned runs in 45.2 innings pitched this season. In addition, Tulsa starters have combined for the lowest ERA in Double-A at 1.58 in 12 games.

*The win gave the Drillers a 2-1 advantage in the 2023 Coors Light Propeller Series.

*2018 and 2019 Tulsa Driller Michael Boyle took the mound for Wichita in the seventh inning. It was his first game at ONEOK Field since August 25, 2021.

*Prior to the game, the Drillers announced that infielder Bryson Brigman…