NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Travelers claimed a wild 8-7 walk-off win against the Springfield Cardinals before 3,234 fans at Dickey-Stephens Park on Mothers Day.
The Cardinals (18-16) seized an early lead right away, striking for a pair of runs in the top of the first against RHP Brett Ash. CF Oscar Mercado led off with a sharp single to left-center on the game’s first pitch. He then raced around to third on a base hit by SS Alex Mejia. With runners at the corners, RF Adolis Garcia brought in Mercado with an RBI fielder’s choice, though it retired Mejia at second base. Garcia moved to second on a groundout, before stealing third base. LF Anthony Garcia then struck with a two-out RBI single to center field, scoring RF Adolis Garcia for the 2-0 lead.
The Travs (14-21), though, battled right back with four unearned runs against LHP Austin Gomber in the bottom of the first inning. CF Ian Miller started the stanza with a double. One out later, LF Chuck Taylor worked a walk and 1B Ryan Casteel reached on an error, loading the bases with one down. After a line out, DH Tyler Marlette worked a bases-loaded walk to force in Miller for the Travs first run. C Marcus Littlewood then swung Arkansas in front with a two-run double, followed by an RBI single from SS Joey Wong for the 4-2 Travelers advantage.
After a solo shot from SS Joey Wong in the bottom of the third opened the Arkansas lead to 5-2, the Cardinals chipped away in the top of the fourth. 1B Casey Grayson led off with his second single of the day. One out later, Grayson darted to second base as Mercado reached on an error, putting two on with one away. Mejia then pulled his league-leading 14th double to left field, scoring Grayson and moving Mercado to third base. RF Adolis Garcia then skied an RBI sacrifice fly to center field, bringing in Mercado to shave the deficit to just one run, 5-4.
The Travelers, though, got the two runs right back in the bottom of the fourth. With RHP Blake McKnight starting his third full inning of work, Miller started the stanza with a single before going to second as 2B Gianfranco Wawoe worked a walk. One out later, 1B Ryan Casteel delivered an RBI single, followed by an RBI fielder’s choice from RF Kyle Waldrop, stretching the lead back to three runs for the Travelers, 7-4.
Springfield refused to stay down by three, striking in the top of the sixth inning. Mercado led off with his second single of the game, before stealing second base for his team-leading 10th swipe of the season. Mejia then reached on an error, enabling Mercado to race to third base. RHP Peter Tago took over on the mound and dealt back-to-back strikeouts, but LF Anthony Garcia came through with a two-out RBI single, bringing in Mercado to make it just a 7-5 Travelers lead.
The Cardinals completed the comeback in the top of the eighth. Facing RHP Blake Perry, Mejia and RF Adolis Garcia worked consecutive one-out walks. One out later, LF Anthony Garcia loaded the bases with a two-out walk, followed by an RBI free pass from 2B Eliezer Alvarez to force in Mejia. With the bases loaded and two down, RF Adolis Garcia then remarkably stole home plate to tie the game, 7-7, with his second steal of the game and fifth of the year.
Aided by an outfield assist from RF Adolis Garcia to third base, LHP Chandler Hawkins (L, 0-1) kept the tie intact with a scoreless bottom of the eighth. However, the Travs had one final rally in the bottom of the ninth. DH Tyler Marlette led off with a walk. C Marcus Littlewood then laid down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by C Gabriel Lino, who attempted to throw out Marlette at second base but did not get it there in time, enabling everyone to be safe with runners at first and second. A base hit by SS Joey Wong loaded the bases with no outs, before Hawkins dug in with a foul out for the first out of the frame. However, with three on and one away, CF Ian Miller lined an RBI single to right field, sending the Travs to the 8-7 walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth.
The Cardinals return home for an eight-game homestand from Monday, May 15 – Monday, May 22.
