RoughRiders lose 8-4 but win series against the Travelers

The RoughRiders line-up hit two home runs in Sunday’s early afternoon game but it wasn’t enough to lift them past the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners). The RoughRiders lost 8-4 but won four games of the six game series. This is the first series in June the RoughRiders have won.

Right-hander Tim Brennan got the start for the RoughRiders and gave up a season-high six runs (five earned) on five hits, one walk and four strikeouts in his three innings.

The RoughRiders were able to scratch across three earned runs off of Levi Stoudt on seven hits in his five innings.

As they have in quite a few games this season, the RoughRiders were the first to score and wasted no time doing it in the top of the 1st. Blaine Crim reached on a fielders choice that scored leadoff hitter Dustin Harris.

Their lead was short-lived though as the Travelers Joe Rizzo hit his 15th home run of the season in the bottom of the 1st. The Travelers took the lead for good in the bottom of the 2nd when they scored two runs. They added three more runs in the bottom of the 3rd for a 6-1 lead at the time.

The RoughRiders scored two runs in the top of the 5th when Kellen Strahm hit his 4th home run of the season. It was a 2-run shot to right field. His home run cut it to a 3-run deficit.

Trey Hair re-takes HR lead

Trey Hair hit his team-leading 13th home run of the season in the top of the 6th to cut the Travelers lead to 6-4.

The Travelers went on to pad their lead in the bottom of the 8th from a 2-run home run off the bat of Jack Larsen, his 6th of the season. Travelers led 8-4 and that ended up as the final.

Brennan’s final line: 3 IP, 6 R (5 ER), 5 H, 1 BB, 4 SO. 65/41 strikes

Out of the pen

Tai Tiedemann (5.67) replaced Brennan in the top of the 4th and pitched a scoreless outing.

Grant Wolfram replaced Tiedemann in the 5th and struck out four batters walking none in his two innings of relief.

Wolfram’s line: 2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 4 SO.

In the 7th, Wolfram gave up a lead-off single and was replaced by Seth Nordlin.

Jack Larsen homered on Nordlin’s first pitch to put the Travelers in front 8-4. Nordlin (3.61) ended up pitching 1.2 innings: 1 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 SO.

Grant Anderson (3.72) got Jack Larsen looking for the final out of the 8th.

The RoughRiders fall by a final of 8-4 and move to 36-33 on the season. Tim Brennan was charged with the loss.

What’s next?

The RoughRiders travel back home to Riders Field to play against the Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros).