Hitless Hainley Statia of the Arkansas Travelers Scores 2 and Gets Win Over Tulsa Drillers 8-7 - AA, Texas League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock, Arkansas - SS Hainley Statia stepped into the batters box with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning without a hit in his last 15 at bats, giving him no hits in the Travs' four-game series against Tulsa.  None of that mattered when he laced a 1-2 offering from Ryan Mattheus (0-1) to the gap in right-center to score two runs and give the Travs an 8-7 win over the Drillers.  Mattheus was saddled with the loss after blowing his first save of the year.

In the top of the 10th inning with the game tied at six, a walk and single allowed by Francisco Rodriguez (1-1) put runners at the corners with two outs.  Matt Miller hit a chopper to 3B Adam Morrissey who had trouble getting the ball out of his glove, which allowed Dexter Fowler to score from third and give Tulsa the lead.  After hitting Tony Blanco, Rodriguez struck out Daniel Carte with the bases loaded to send the game into the bottom of the ninth.  Rodriguez allowed one run, zero earned, in one inning with a walk and a strikeout for his first win of the year.

In the bottom of the inning, Morrissey atoned for his error by hitting a lead-off single.  Morrissey moved up to second base on Jordan Czarniecki's single to put runners on first and second with no outs.  Czarniecki was removed for pinch runner Cody Fuller at first base.  Cliff Remole was called on to sacrifice the runners and laid down a perfect bunt back to the pitcher.  Mattheus tried to get Remole at first but threw wildly, which loaded the bases with no outs.  Mattheus retired Nate Sutton on a fly-out and struck out Coby Smith to get two outs but he was unable to retire Statia.

Coby Smith was 4-for-6 with four singles on the night, which raised his average to a team-leading .330.  He also contributed two RBI, a run scored and a stolen base.  Morrissey was 3-for-5 with a run scored to lift his average to .238.

The Travelers took a 4-2 lead into the fifth inning before starter Brok Butcher ran out of gas.  Brian Esposito led off the inning and reached on a fielding error by Statia but was erased on a fielders choice.  Corey Wimberly was called on to bunt but his bunt was right at 1B Michael Collins who threw on to first to nab Esposito.  Dexter Fowler hit the very next pitch from Butcher to center field for a double to put runners at second and third with only one out.  Butcher got behind the next two batters and walked them both on 3-1 counts to load the bases for Blanco.  Blanco then smoked a bases clearing double to right-center to give Tulsa a 6-4 lead.  Blanco was thrown out trying to stretch the double into a triple. 

After walking the next batter on four pitches, Bobby Magallanes had seen enough.  Out of the bullpen came Bill Edwards who retired Jeff Kindel on a force play to end the inning. 

Edwards pitched two innings and only allowed one hit.  He also walked and struck out one. 

With the Drillers leading in 6-5 in the eighth, the Travs got a one-out single from Czarniecki who moved up to second on Remole's infield single.  Czarniecki came around to score and tie the game on Sutton's RBI single up the middle.  Sutton had no hits in his previous 20 at bats but was called on to pinch hit for Ryan Leahy and he made the move pay off. 

Time of game was 3:49 and attendance was 7,354.

For Box Score, see:  Boxscore
 

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