The Springfield Cardinals took advantage of performances by right-handed starter Mike Mayers and power-hitting third baseman Paul DeJong in their 6-4 victory over the Arkansas Travellers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Saturday night.
Mayers gave up five hits and one run in 52/3 innings and DeJong's three-run home run in the first gave the Cardinals the lead for keeps.
Today’s game
SPRINGFIELD AT ARKANSAS
WHEN 2:10 p.m.
WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock
RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas
WEBSITE travs.com
PITCHERS Travelers: Jordan Kipper (RHP, 3-2, 3.78 ERA); Cardinals: Daniel Poncedeleon (RHP, 2-3, 3.69).
TICKETS Gates open 1 hour before first pitch. Box $13, reserved $9 ($6 children), general admission $7 ($5 children).
PROMOTIONS $3 discount coupons available at Edwards Food Giant locations. Families (maximum four children) bringing a church bulletin will be admitted for $10. Anyone with military identification receives a $3 discount.
But Arkansas pulled into contention with runs in the sixth and seventh innings followed by two in the eighth.
"You know, our guys are going to keep playing," Arkansas Manager Mark Parent said. "I knew that. They really have a lot of confidence and are starting to do the things you have to do to win ball games."
Springfield led 4-0 after center fielder Harrison Bader led of the third inning with a 393-foot shot over the right-center field fence, but its lead was cut to 4-1 after left fielder Jabari Henry hit his first home run as a Traveler in the sixth.
"I'd been struggling a little bit, swinging over the ball," Henry said. "Mayers really pitched well, but he left that one up and I took advantage of it. That felt good. I needed that."
Mayers was pulled after 101 pitches and two outs in the sixth inning. He struck out six, but walked four.
"Mayers really didn't have that great of command tonight," Springfield Manager Dann Belardello said. "He's certainly pitched better for us. But he got outs when he had to, and that's saying quite a bit about a pitcher. That's the most important thing."
Shortstop Angel Rosa's bunt single started the Travelers in the seventh inning. Rojas advanced to second on right fielder Cal Towey's one-out single, to third on designated hitter Chad Hinshaw's walk, and scored on a sacrifice fly to deep right by first baseman Eric Aguilera.
"The Travelers have some really good players, and they play hard," Belardello said. "I knew they weren't going to give up."
Springfield scored in the eighth inning on a one-out home run by first baseman Luke Voit to take a 5-2 lead, but the Travelers successfully responded again.
Arkansas third baseman Andrew Daniel was hit by a pitch to start the eighth inning. He scored on center fielder Bo Way's triple. Way scored Aguilera's sacrifice fly to left and the Travelers were within 5-4 to start the ninth.
Springfield took a 6-4 lead in the top of the ninth inning when designated hitter Collin Radack (Conway, Hendrix) scored from second after a wild pitch from Geoff Broussard bounced off catcher Stephen McGee's shin guard to the first-base coach's box. Aguilera's throw home matched Radack's arrival but bounced out of McGee's mitt.
"I know it was a gamble to send Radack, but I looked over to first, and it didn't really look like their guy was giving it his all to get to it," Delardello said. "On the other hand, that's not something you're going to see every day. I knew it would be close."
sp'field AB R H BI arkansas AB R H BI
Bader, cf 5 1 1 1 Yarbrgh, 2b 5 0 0 0
Valera, rf 3 1 1 0 Towey, rf 4 0 3 0
Caldwell, 2b 3 0 1 0 Hinshaw, dh 4 0 0 0
Voit, 1b 3 2 1 1 Aguilera, 1b 3 0 0 1
DeJong, 3b 4 1 1 3 Henry, lf 4 1 1 1
Mejia, ss 3 0 0 0 Daniel, 3b 2 1 2 0
Radack, dh 3 1 0 0 Way, cf 3 1 2 1
Kelly, c 3 0 2 0 McGee, c 3 0 0 1
McElroy, lf 4 0 1 0 Rosa, ss 4 1 1 0
TOTALS 31 6 8 5 totals 32 4 9 4
Springfield 301 000 011 -- 6 8 0
Arkansas 000 001 120 -- 4 9 0
DP -- Springfield 1. LOB -- Springfield 4, Arkansas 9. 2B -- Towey, Daniel. 3B -- Way. HR -- DeJong (7), Bader (8), Voit (7), Henry (1). SAC -- Kelly. SF -- Aguilera, McGee.
springfield IP H R ER BB SO
Mayers W, 4-2 52/3 5 1 1 4 6
Perry 11/3 3 3 3 1 1
Shaban 1 0 0 0 0 1
Lucas S, 4 1 1 0 0 0 1
arkansas IP H R ER BB SO
Scribner 31/3 5 4 4 3 4
Adams 22/3 2 0 0 1 1
DeLoach 11/3 0 0 0 0 1
Broussard 12/3 1 2 2 1 2
WP -- Scribner, Broussard. HBP -- by Perry (Daniel). Umpires -- Home: Tomlinson; First: Meyers; Third: Gorman. Time -- 3:05. Attendance -- 6,669.
Sports on 05/22/2016