TULSA — Nick Gorneault hit a home run in the top of the 11th inning as the Arkansas Travelers beat the Tulsa Drillers 7-6 Sunday night in front of an announced crowd of 4,962 at Oneok Field.
Gorneault’s shot to right field off reliever Chris Malone (2-3) broke a 6-6 tie. Ismael Carmona escaped a jam in the bottom of the 11th with runners on second and third with one out, earning his fourth save of the season.
The Drillers tied the game at 6-6 in the ninth on Kiel Rolling’s double, which brought home Wilin Rosario. Tulsa scored twice in the eighth to pull within 6-5.
Arkansas led 1-0 in the first on Charlton Jimerson’s home run and 2-0 in the second when Abel Nieves scored on Alexi Amarista’s groundout.
The Travelers made it 4-0 in the third with a home run from Efren Navarro and Gorneault’s RBI single.
Rolling hit a home run in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 4-1. But the Travelers tacked on two more runs in the fourth for a 6-1 lead on Navarro’s sacrifice fly and Tyson Auer’s RBI single.
Bronson Sardinha hit an RBI double in the fourth to pull the Drillers within 6-2. In the sixth, Tulsa’s Anthony Jackson hit a leadoff home run to cut the lead to 6-3.
Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (wrist), on a rehabilitation assignment with Tulsa, was 0 for 3 with an RBI and also scored a run.
Steven Geltz (1-0) picked up the victory for Arkansas, pitching a scoreless inning. Ryan Brasier started for the Travelers, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits in 7 innings.
Sports, Pages 19 on 07/26/2010