Springfield, MO – The Frisco RoughRiders rebounded from Friday’s defeat with a 4-2 win against the Springfield Cardinals before the sellout crowd of 7,344 fans at Hammons Field on Saturday evening. It marks the Cardinals third straight sellout crowd of more than 7,000 fans.
The RoughRiders (26-28, 55-69) came out swinging against LHP Jimmy Reed (L, 2-3) in the top of the first frame. With two away and the bases clear, CF Lewis Brinson cracked the scoreless tie with a solo shot to center field, lifting Frisco into the 1-0 lead.
Springfield (27-28, 57-68) squared the score right away, evening it in the bottom of the first against LHP Chad Bell (W, 6-12). With one down, LF Mike O’Neill singled himself aboard, before SS Aledmys Diaz worked a walk. One out later, DH Michael Ohlman placed an RBI single to shallow right field, bringing in O’Neill from second for the 1-1 tie.
Frisco, though, swung back in front in the top of the second. With one on and one down, 1B Trever Adams pulled a two-run shot to left field, propelling the RoughRiders into the 3-1 advantage.
Reed buckled down after the Adams homer, retiring the next eight batters in a row. He then worked around a bunt single in the fifth to toss his third straight scoreless frame, keeping the Cardinals behind by only two runs.
Springfield decreased the deficit with one in the bottom of the fifth. C Alberto Rosario sparked the charge with a leadoff double inside the left field line, before darting home on an RBI double by CF Charlie Tilson to bring the Cardinals within one run, 3-2.
Reed finished his quality start with a scoreless sixth inning, but Frisco padded the advantage in the top of the seventh against RHP Silfredo Garcia. Leading off the inning, 2B Drew Robinson knocked his league-best 19th home run, a solo shot, to extend the RoughRiders lead to 4-2.
Garcia kept the Cardinals within two tallies through the rest of the seventh and a 1-2-3 eighth, followed by a scoreless top of the ninth from LHP Ryan Sherriff. However, after Bell exited with two away in the bottom of the seventh, Frisco received seven straight outs from RHP Adam Parks, LHP Ryne Slack and RHP David Martinez (S, 20) to close the 4-2 win for the RoughRiders.
