Pinch-hitting C Carson Kelly delivered the go-ahead, two-out RBI single in the top of the ninth to lift the 1st-Half North Division Champion Springfield Cardinals to the 6-5 win against the San Antonio Missions before 8,243 fans at Wolff Stadium on Independence Day Monday. Springfield goes for their second straight series win to close the road trip on Tuesday at 7:05pm in San Antonio.
The Missions (4-7, 26-55) charged in front with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning against RHP Trey Nielsen. CF Franchy Cordero led off with a single, before moving to second one out later on an infield single from LF Nick Torres. After RF Nick Schulz was hit by a pitch to load the bases, 3B River Stevens brought in Cordero with an RBI infield single to crack the scoreless tie. After a foul out for the second out, 2B Nelson Ward worked a bases-loaded RBI walk to force home Torres and make it 2-0.
The Cardinals (5-5, 46-34) cut the deficit in half in the top of the second against RHP T.J. Weir. 1B Luke Voit sparked the charge with a double to lead off the inning. He moved to third on a sharp single by RF Anthony Garcia, before charging home one out later on an RBI sacrifice fly from C Michael Ohlman to slice it to a 2-1 Missions lead.
The Missions got the run right back in the bottom of the second with an unearned run. With one away, Cordero singled himself back on the bases. He then proceeded to steal second, before taking off for third on a wild pitch. C Michael Ohlman tried to retire Cordero at third, but threw the ball into left field with the throwing error enabling Cordero to score and stretch the lead to 3-1.
Nielsen dug in with a scoreless stretch in the middle innings, at one point retiring 10 in a row to keep the Cardinals within striking distance.
Springfield then swung in front in the top of the fifth. With one away, 3B Paul DeJong got the bats going with a solo home run to left field, his 13th blast for his team-leading 48th RBI, bringing the Cardinals within one run. Ohlman and 2B Allen Staton then knocked consecutive singles, before Weir retired Nielsen on a strikeout. With two away, CF Harrison Bader worked a walk to load the bases and extend the inning. LF Jonathan Rodriguez came through, tearing a three-run double into the left field corner, bringing all three runners home and catapulting the Cardinals into the 5-3 lead.
The Missions, though, began the comeback right away with an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth. Nielsen struck out the inning's first two batters, but then Torres reached on an error by 3B Paul DeJong to extend the inning. Nielsen hit Schulz for the second time in the game, putting two runners on. Stevens then struck again with an RBI base hit, plating Torres from second to make it a 5-4 deficit for San Antonio.
The Missions completed the comeback in the bottom of the sixth. A single and a walk started the frame and led to RHP Kevin Herget taking over on the mound. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, before the Cardinals intentionally walked Cordero. With the bases loaded and one down, SS Jose Rondon lifted an RBI single to left-center that Bader got his glove on but could not retire, bringing in 2B Nelson Ward from third for the 5-5 tie.
Herget got out of the rest of the inning with a double play, before LHP Justin Wright dealt a scoreless seventh. RHP Ronnie Shaban (W, 5-1) kept it tied with a scoreless eighth, before the Cardinals struck in the ninth.
Leading off the top of the ninth against LHP Jose Torres (L, 0-2), Garcia ripped a double to right-center field. Garcia gave way to pinch-running OF Blake Drake, but Torres dug in and retired the next two batters with Drake remaining at second. Staton came up with two away and extended the inning by working a walk, joining Drake on the bases. C Carson Kelly then entered as a pinch hitter and attacked the first pitch, lining an RBI single through the right side of the infield to plate Drake for the 6-5 lead.
RHP Josh Lucas (S, 10) then slammed the door, working around a double in the scoreless bottom of the ninth to close the 6-5 win for Springfield.
