Drillers Can’t Overcome Early Homers in Loss to Cards

June 10, 2025 – Texas League (TL)
Tulsa Drillers News Release

Jose Ramos of the Tulsa Drillers is tagged out at home plate
(Tulsa Drillers, Credit: Shanna Stafford)

Springfield, MO – A six-game road trip got off to rocky start for the Tulsa Drillers on Tuesday night. The Drillers never led after two first-inning home runs staked the Springfield Cardinals to an early lead. The Cards eventually scored eight times in the first five innings and handed the Drillers an 8-3 defeat at Hammons Field.

Tulsa fell despite out-hitting Springfield 8-6, but three of Cardinals’ hits were home runs. The Drillers stranded 11 runners on base.

It was a tough night for Tulsa starting pitcher Jackson Ferris. The lefthander walked the first batter he faced in the bottom of the first inning, setting up a two-out, two-run homer from Chase Davis. The next batter, Joshua Baez, upped the lead to 3-0 when he followed with a solo home run.

Ferris eventually escaped the first inning by striking out the side, but he needed 37 pitches to do so.

The elevated pitch count resulted in a short night for Ferris. He kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard in the second and third innings before departing the game.

Reliever Livan Reinoso took over to open the fourth and promptly walked the first two batters he faced, setting up an RBI double from R.J. Yeager. A base hit from Ramon Mendoza plated two more runs and upped the Springfield lead to 6-0.

Kole Myers got the Drillers on the scoreboard when he led off the fifth inning with his first Double-A home run.

Baez struck again for the Redbirds in the bottom half of the fifth. When an error by Tulsa left fielder Jose Ramos extended the inning, Baez took advantage with his second homer of the game, upping the Cards’ lead to 8-1.

The Drillers made a bid to get back into the game in the sixth. After Griffin Lockwood-Powell drew a leadoff walk, Kendall Simmons lined a one-out double to put runners at second and third. Lockwood-Powell scored on a wild pitch, and after Myers walked, Simmons came home on a base hit by Sean McLain.

Another walk loaded the bases with two outs, but Noah Miller went down on strikes to end the threat with Tulsa trailing 8-3.

The Drillers went down in order in both the seventh and eighth innings before threatening in the ninth. A leadoff walk, followed by catcher’s interference put the first two batters on base, but Springfield reliever Austin Love retired the next three batters to end the game.

INSIDE THE GAME

*Tulsa batters struck out 16…