roughriders fall despite early offensive output and great night from the bullpen

The Frisco Roughriders would send Josh Stephan (5-2, 4.75) to face off against the Tulsa Drillers and Peter Huebeck (1-4, 4.34) on Thursday night to kick off the series.

Things got started off early on Thursday night when Josh Stephan gave up three hits in a row culminating in a two run triple by Noah Miller making it an Early 2-0 for the Drillers. However, he would avoid further damage and escape the inning allowing only the two runs. Frisco would get one back when Drillers CF Jose Ramos misplayed a fly ball allowing Cauley to get to 3rd and was advanced home thew next At Bat on a grounder by Josh Hatcher.

Frisco would get their bats going in the bottom half of the second starting with an Ortiz walk, then a Keyber Rodriguez single, and a Jax Biggers walk would then load the bases. Antonini would then hit a grounder to 1st scoring Ortiz and typing the game. Aaron Zalava would then come up with 2 on and 2 out and proceed to deposit a ball into the left field seats for a 3 Run Oppo blast giving Frisco a 5-2 lead early.

However Tulsa would answer right back first getting 2 on via a single and a walk, Stephan would then strike out Damon Keith. However, Ramos would then reach on the next AB thanks to a throwing error by 3B Jax Biggers setting up Kendall Simmons who would then send a towering fly ball out to left field and would barley stay inside the foul poll for a Go-Ahead Grand Slam for Tulsa making it 5-6.

The offenses would grind to a screeching hault, until the 7th with a 1 out double and then a grounder to 3rd would set up a runner on 3rd with one out when Noah Miller would hit a ball up the middle, Cauley would reach it and attempt to make the play but Miller would wind up safe at first allowing Pagan to score making it a 7-5 ballgame.

The RoughRiders made it interesting in the 9th when they would get 2 on with 2 out when Aaron Antonini would hit an RBI single into right field making it 7-6 with 2 on and 2 out still for leadoff man Aaron Zavala who already had a Home Run on the night. Unfortunately, Zavala would get caught looking at strike three ending the rally for Frisco.

Despite six innings of one run baseball from their bullpen, the Roughriders bats would go silent after the second inning and not take advantage of a great effort from the Bullpen tonight. The offense came back alive too little too late and ultimately fell short against Tulsa and will look to even things up tomorrow night.