TEXAS LEAGUE: Nieves’ home runs propel Travs

— Abel Nieves went 2 for 3 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI as the Arkansas Travelers beat the Tulsa Drillers 4-2 in the first game of a day-night doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Oneok Field.

Tulsa won the second game 7-5, rallying for two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a tie.

In the opener, Nieves hit a two-run home run to left field in the second inning for a 2-0 lead, and he homered to right in the fourth.

Julio Perez made it 4-0 in the sixth with his fifth home run of the season, a shot to left field.

Mike Anton (3-5) allowed 2 hits in 6 innings, striking out 5 and walking 3 for his first victory since April 28. Anton got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first. Aftergiving up a two-out single to Jason Van Kooten in the second, he retired 12 consecutive before walking Scott Beerer in the sixth.

The Drillers scored two runs in the ninth inning off Jordan Walden on Warren Schaeffer’s double and a passed ball.

Tulsa starter Brandon Durden (3-5) gave up 4 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings, striking out 2 and walking 1. He leads the Texas League with 13 home runs allowed.

In Game 2, the Drillers broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth inning, scoring two runs off Travelers reliever Robert Fish (1-3) on back-to-back base hits by Van Kooten and Charles Blackmon.

Tulsa’s Scott Rice (2-0) pitched 1 1 /3 innings of relief topick up the victory.

The Travelers’ Andrew Romine went 2 for 5 with 2 triples and 3 RBI. Romine hit a two-run triple in the second inning and had a run-scoring triple in the fourth. IvanContreras went 2 for 3 with a triple and an RBI.

Travelers starter Tommy Mendoza gave up 4 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits. He struck out four and walked three.

Sports, Pages 31 on 06/20/2010

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