NORTH LITTLE ROCK -- Three key innings and a quality start from Andrew Moore carried the Arkansas Travelers to a series clinching 9-3 win over the Springfield Cardinals on Sunday at Dickey-Stephens Park.
Moore (1-0) worked five innings while allowing just a run on five hits on the way to earning his first victory of the season. The offense put up a pair of runs in the third inning, four in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
The Travelers (8-7) garnered 12 hits and drew seven walks on the afternoon. Designated hitter led Arkansas Dario Pizzano, hitting 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs.
Left fielder Chuck Taylor and Pizzano collected RBI singles to get the Travelers on the board in the third. Pizzano's came with two outs in the inning.
Moore stranded a pair of Cardinals (7-8) in the third inning and allowed just one run in the fourth after giving up a leadoff double.
Arkansas scored four times in the fifth inning. Pizzano rapped another RBI single and second baseman Chris Mariscal hit a three-run opposite field home run to chase Springfield starter Jake Woodford from the game.
Mariscal finished 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and three RBIs. Right Beau Amaral was 3-for-5 with two runs.
Saturday night's game was postponed due to weather. The game will be made up on May 11 as part of a doubleheader beginning at 5:10 p.m.
Arkansas took a high-scoring 10-7 win over Springfield on Friday in front of a crowd of 7,075 at Dickey-Stephens Park. At least one run was scored in 17 of the 18 half-innings.
The Travelers came back from two runs down to either tie or take the lead. The lineup drew 10 walks in addition to their 11 hits, while eight of the nine batters scored at least one run.
Three relievers combined for 4 2/3 innings allowing just two runs on six hits. Seattle Mariners first baseman Ryon Healy began his rehab assignment in the game as the Travelers' designated hitter and went 2-for-4 with a walk, while lining an RBI single in the first inning and hitting a three-run opposite field home run in the seventh.
Trailing by two in the fifth, Arkansas scored three times on three walks, an error, an infield hit and a sacrifice fly. Catcher Joe DeCarlo drew a walk with the bases loaded to tie the score and shortstop Yonathan Mendoza's sacrifice fly put the Travelers on top.
After Springfield tied the game in the top of the sixth inning, the Travelers put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning. First baseman Joey Curletta singled and Pizzano doubled to set the stage for Curletta to race home for the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
Healy padded the lead with his home run with two outs in the next inning.
Springfield threatened in the eighth, scoring once on a bases loaded walk with one out. Art Warren came out of the bullpen and recorded a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat and strand three Cardinals.
Healy finished with four RBIs. Amaral was also 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Curletta earned three walks while hitting 1-for-2 with two runs. Mendoza was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run. Warren picked up the save with 1 2/3 innings pitched with two strikeouts to one walk.
A ninth inning rally came up short on Thursday as the Cardinals took the series opener, 6-4. The Cardinals busted a 1-1 tie, scoring five times in the seventh inning on a bases loaded walk from Andrew Knizner and a grand slam by John Nogowski.
Arkansas rallied in the ninth with five straight men reaching base with one out to put three runs on the board and bring the winning run to the plate. Jacob Evans came out of the Cardinal bullpen to squash the threat and record the final two outs.
Both starting pitchers, Conner Greene of Springfield and Johendi Jiminian for Arkansas, worked six innings and allowed just one run. Jiminian had six strikeouts and two walks.
Arkansas tied the score in the fifth inning when third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean and catcher Joseph Odom singled preceding a sacrifice fly from second baseman Adam Law.
Stephen Perakslis was on the verge of getting out of the seventh unscathed, but back-to-back walks forced in a run to break the deadlock and set up Nogowski's home run.
Odom hit an RBI double and Law drove in two on a double to close the gap in the ninth. Evans got a flyout from right fielder Andrew Aplin and a strikeout of Taylor to end the game.
Odom was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Law was 1-for-2 with a double, was hit by a pitch and hit a sacrifice fly. He finished the game with three RBIs.
The Travelers welcome the Tulsa Drillers (9-6) for the start of a four-game series at 7:10 p.m. Chase De Jong (1-1, 4.24 ERA) is scheduled to take the ball opposite Dennis Santana (0-1, 1.93).
Sports on 04/23/2018