San Antonio, TX – RHP Chris Ellis struck out a season-high eight batters through 6.0 scoreless innings, leading the Springfield Cardinals to the 7-3 win against the San Antonio Missions before 5,991 fans at Wolff Stadium on Saturday night.
Ellis (W, 3-0) stifled the Missions (30-19) bats throughout his 6.0 innings, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out eight. He retired his final seven batters in a row with five of those seven retired on strikeouts, including his last two outs to end the scoreless sixth.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals (26-23) concocted consecutive two-out, three-run rallies in the third and fourth innings. With two on and two away in the third, 2B Edmundo Sosa lined a two-run single to center field, scoring CF Thomas Spitz and SS Tommy Edman for the 2-0 lead. A base hit from LF Victor Roache extended the frame with Sosa moving to third. 3B Evan Mendoza then placed an RBI single down the third base line that brought home Sosa to make it 3-0.
Springfield struck for three more runs in the fourth with two away. With Spitz at second and two away, Edman ripped an RBI single, one of his three hits on the night. Edman got to second on the throw home, before coming in himself on an RBI base hit by 1B Stefan Trosclair. Sosa then scorched an RBI double to left-center field, bringing in Trosclair from first base to make it 6-0.
The Cardinals added a final run with an RBI fielder’s choice from RF Granden Goetzman in the sixth to make it 7-0.
After Ellis finished his night with a perfect sixth inning, the Missions shaved the deficit with three runs in the bottom of the seventh against LHP Jacob Evans. With two on to start the frame, LF Rod Boykin placed an RBI infield single to get the Missions on the board. An RBI groundout by RF Forrestt Allday and an RBI sac fly from pinch-hitting 3B Ty France plated their other two runs, bringing San Antonio within four tallies, 7-3.
LHP Colton Thomson (S, 1) navigated the Cardinals out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, before tossing a scoreless ninth to close the 7-3 win for Springfield.
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