SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The San Antonio Missions claimed the rubber match of the series with a 7-1 win against the Springfield Cardinals before 6,514 fans at Wolff Stadium on Sunday evening.
The Missions (29-21) opened the early lead with one run in the bottom of the first inning against RHP Sandy Alcantara (L, 2-4). With runners at the corners and one away, a wild pitch sailed away and allowed SS Luis Urias to score, lifting the Missions ahead, 1-0.
The Missions stayed on the attack in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with no outs on a pair of singles and a walk. RF Franmil Reyes and 3B Ty France then skied consecutive RBI sacrifice flies, bringing in one run apiece and extending the Missions lead to 3-0.
With RHP Blake McKnight taking over for the bottom of the fifth, San Antonio added two more tallies. 2B Jose Rondon led off with a double, before moving to third base on a groundout. With RF Franmil Reyes up, a wild pitch skipped away, enabling Rondon to score. Reyes then skied a solo home run to left-center field, stretching the Missions lead to 5-0.
San Antonio plated two more in the bottom of the seventh against RHP Pedro Echemendia. Urias led off the inning with his third single of the night, before going to second on a wild pitch. Two outs later, Reyes launched an RBI double to right-center field, bringing in Urias. Reyes then raced home on an error, opening the Missions lead to 7-0.
The Cardinals (25-23) battled their way onto the scoreboard in top of the ninth against RHP T.J. Weir. LF Magneuris Sierra and RF Adolis Garcia started the stanza with their second singles of the night, putting runners at first and second. After Sierra scooted to third on a fly out to right field, he raced home when a pitch got past C A.J. Kennedy, getting the Cardinals on the board. Weir, though, dug in with back-to-back strikeouts to close the 7-1 win for San Antonio. Missions RHP Chris Huffman (W, 1-0) tossed seven scoreless innings to log the win in his Double-A debut.
The Cardinals return home for a six-game homestand from Tuesday, May 30 – Sunday, June 4.
