Springfield Cardinals Finally Hit .500, Beat Arkansas Travelers 7-6 - AA, Texas League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - The Springfield Cardinals reached the .500 mark for the first time this year, as they downed the Arkansas Travelers by a score of 7-6 at Hammons Field on Tuesday afternoon.  The win for Springfield is their third straight, as they remain in a first place tie with Northwest Arkansas, who beat Tulsa earlier in the day. 

The two teams will meet in a four-game series, as Springfield opens an eight-game road trip on Wednesday night at Arvest Ballpark.

Springfield battered Arkansas starter Fernando Rodriguez, then survived the Travs’ rally to hold on at the end.  The Redbirds jumped on Rodriguez (1-4) with three in the first inning to take the early lead.  Shane Robinson singled to open the game, then after stealing second, scored on a Jon Jay RBI single.  Brandon Yarbrough capped the inning with a two-run single, putting Springfield up 3-0.

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Arkansas got a pair in the second, but Springfield answered with two in the bottom of the inning.  Jay and Allen Craig each drove home a run with RBI hits, as Springfield reclaimed a three-run lead at 5-2. 

Jay and Craig struck again in the fourth, as both drove home a run to make it 7-2 against Rodriguez. 

The combination of Robinson, Jay and Craig at the top of the order combined for eight hits, five RBIs and five runs scored. From there, the Cards were forced to withstand the Travs’ rally, as Arkansas scored the game’s final four runs.  They chased Springfield starter Adam Daniels by scoring three times in the fifth, making it a 7-5
game. 

The Travs inched closer in the seventh, scoring a run against Zack Zuercher to make it 7-6.  Adam Morriseey brought home Ben Johnson with an RBI double, but would end up stranded at second base.  Zuercher walked the lead-off hitter in the eighth, but Marco Gonzalez ended up retiring the final two hitters, as Arkansas again left the tying run in scoring position.

Luke Gregerson worked a perfect ninth inning, getting Corey Smith, who homered earlier in the game, to pop up to end it.  The save for Gregerson is his fifth in as many chances this year. 

Bob Zimmermann (3-0) picked up his third win of the home stand, working 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. 

Daniels got a no-decision, allowing five runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings. 

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