TEXAS LEAGUE : Travelers shake off slow start
Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2008
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — It took the Arkansas Travelers a little while to get warmed up Wednesday night, but eventually the Travs generated enough heat to beat the Springfield Cardinals.
Held to one hit through the first three innings, the Travelers scored three runs in the third and went on to a 4-2 victory before a crowd of 5, 347 at Hammons Field.
The Travelers finished with 10 hits off three Springfield pitchers after Cardinals starter Jess Todd, a former Arkansas Razorback, retired eight of the first nine batters he faced.
Chris Pettit opened the fourth inning with a double to right field, the Travelers’ second hit of the game. Todd then threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt, moving Pettit to third, and Brian Stavisky followed with a single up the middle to tie the game at 1-1.
Corey Smith followed Stavisky to the plate and hit the first pitch he saw for a tworun home run to left field that gave the Travelers a 3-1 lead. The Travs had a chance to add to their lead when a double by Flint Wipke and a single by Coby Smith gave them runners on the corners, but Wipke was caught at home on a double-steal attempt to end the inning.
The Travelers added to their lead in the fifth when Adam Greenberg led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a throwing error by Cardinals catcher Matt Pagnozzi and scored on a single by Pettit.
Greenberg had three hits for the Travelers, while starting pitcher Dan Denham (8-8 ) held Springfield to 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 9 batters and walking 1.
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