Drillers Suffer Rare, Late Loss

July 31, 2024 – Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release

Tulsa Drillers’ Alex Freeland and Springfield Cardinals’ Jeremy Rivas in action
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Rich Crimi)

TULSA, OK – Springfield’s Jacob Buchberger has been a tough out for the Tulsa Drillers all season long, but he delivered his most destructive hit on Wednesday night. Buchberger’s two-run homer in the ninth inning erased a one-run lead for the Drillers and helped to propel the Cardinals to a 5-2 victory at ONEOK Field.

It was a tough loss for the Drillers as it marked the first time this season that they have lost a game when leading after eight innings. They were 40-0 when leading a game entering the final inning of regulation. The defeat also dropped them 2.5 games behind the first-place Cardinals.

Pitching was the story for much of Wednesday’s game, as offense was at a premium.

The Cardinals had been held scoreless for seven innings after scoring the game’s first run in the first inning. Like Tulsa in Tuesday’s series opener, the Cardinals needed just one hit in the first to take an initial lead. Nathan Church drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on a base hit from Jimmy Crooks.

A pair of doubles from Griffin Lockwood-Powell and Jose Ramos for the Drillers in the bottom of the second inning tied the score at 1-1.

It would remain tied until the eighth inning when impeccable base running from Tulsa’s Alex Freeland appeared to hand the Drillers a late victory. Freeland opened the frame with a base hit and quickly advanced to third when Dalton Rushing singled on the next pitch.

Cards’ reliever Jack Ralston retired the next batter, Damon Keith, on strikes. With one out and Lockwood-Powell at the plate, a Ralston pitch in the dirt bounced about 15 feet to the right of catcher Crooks. Crooks scrambled after the ball and quickly threw to Ralston covering home, but the pitcher’s tag was late as Freeland slid headfirst across the plate.

Instead of a victory for the Drillers, Freeland’s race home only set the stage for Buchberger who entered the game with a .423 batting average against Tulsa this season.

Lucas Wepf was summoned from the bullpen to protect the 2-1 lead, but he quickly ran into trouble by walking the inning’s leadoff batter, bringing Buchberger to the plate. Wepf jumped ahead with a pair of strikes, but the Cards’ third baseman lined the next pitch into the front row of the Budweiser Terrace and just out of the reach of left fielder Bubba Alleyne. It was Buchberger’s sixth…