Springfield, MO – For the third straight game, the Springfield Cardinals rallied from behind for a comeback victory against the Arkansas Travelers, winning on Saturday evening, 6-4, before 6,135 fans at Hammons Field. The Cardinals have caught the Travelers for 1st place in the North Division Second Half Standings and go for the series sweep on Sunday at 6:10pm.
Both sides came out swinging with three runs apiece in their respective sides of the first. The Travelers (23-20, 59-53) rallied first in the top of the inning against RHP Andrew Morales. With one down, 2B Sherman Johnson singled himself aboard. After a CF Chad Hinshaw walk and a C Raywilly Gomez base hit loaded the bases, LF Blake Gailen promptly brought all three runs home with a double to left-center, swinging Arkansas into the 3-0 lead.
However, the Cardinals (23-20, 53-60) came racing back right away against RHP Michael Brady in the bottom of the first. LF Mike O’Neill started the stanza with a sharp single to the left side of the infield, followed by SS Matt Williams being hit by a pitch to put two on. 2B Bruce Caldwell then tied it with one big swing, crushing a three-run home run to right field to square the score at 3-3 with his eighth long-ball of the year.
Both hurlers tossed a scoreless second frame to keep the tie intact, but the Travelers swung back in front in the top of the third. DH Ruben Sosa led off with a triple, before quickly coming home on an RBI sacrifice fly by Johnson to lift the Travs into the 4-3 advantage.
Morales bounced back after the third with 2.2 subsequent scoreless innings to keep the Travelers only ahead by one run. RHP Kurt Heyer (W, 5-0) took over to retire the final out in the sixth, before tossing a scoreless seventh as well.
Brady kept the Cardinals at bay through the remainder of his six-inning start, but the Cardinals rallied against the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh. Facing RHP Nate Hyatt (L, 1-2) to start the inning, 1B David Washington sparked the charge with a single. 3B Patrick Wisdom then worked a walk, before C Alberto Rosario was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with no outs. O’Neill dealt the tying blow with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field, bringing home Washington from third base to even it, 4-4. Williams followed with a free pass to reload the bases with just one down, before Caldwell skied a go-ahead RBI sacrifice fly to center field, plating Wisdom from third for the 5-4 advantage.
The Cardinals padded the lead with one more run against O’Grady in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs, 1B Jonathan Rodriguez entered as a pinch hitter a tattooed a solo shot to left field, opening the Cardinals advantage to 6-4.
RHP Ronnie Shaban took over to start the top of the ninth and slammed the door, dealing a 1-2-3 final frame to close the 6-4 win.
