Tulsa, OK – The Tulsa Drillers began their final road trip of the 2026 regular season on Tuesday night, opening a six-game series with Northwest Arkansas at Arvest Ballpark. Tulsa took advantage of 12 walks from the Naturals pitching staff, with four of its seven runs scoring on bases-loaded walks, and posted a 7-5 victory.
The result improved the Drillers’ record to 15-4 against the Naturals this season.
The Springfield Cardinals also earned a win on Tuesday to officially clinch the second-half title in the Texas League North Division. The Drillers and Cardinals are set to face off in the first round of the Texas League playoffs beginning in Springfield on Tuesday, September 15.
The walks came early for the Drillers on Tuesday, and they took advantage of four in the first inning. The game’s first three hitters, Taylor Young, Josue De Paula and Mike Sirota, all reached base on two walks and a single. Jake Gelof was next and he drew another walk to force in Tulsa’s first run.
Kole Myers was next with his single to produce the second run, and Logan Wagner and Frank Rodriguez were responsible for the next two with a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly.
The Naturals scored the game’s next two runs using RBI singles from Spencer Nivens and Sam Kulasingam in the first and third innings to make the score 4-2.
In the fourth, a triple from Connor Scott set up Canyon Brown’s sacrifice fly to cut Tulsa’s lead to 4-3.
Adam Serwinowski had an unusually short outing after tossing eight innings in his previous start at ONEOK Field. The lefthander was charged with the Naturals first three runs on five hits and four walks in 3.2 innings. It was his first start since July 2 that he hasn’t completed at least four innings.
The Drillers widened their lead by adding three runs in the top of the sixth. With two outs, they had Rodriguez at second base before a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases. Gelof followed with a walk to give Tulsa its fifth run. Myers and Elijah Hainline added the next two runs with a single and another bases-loaded walk to increase the Drillers lead to 7-3.
The Naturals used an RBI groundout in the bottom of the sixth to score their fourth run.
Their fifth run came in the ninth off Carson Hobbs when Daniel Vasquez led off with a double and scored when Justin Johnson followed with a single.
Hobbs recovered to retire the next three hitters on two groundouts and a strikeout to earn his fourth save of 2026.
Four Tulsa relievers combined to allow two runs following Serwinowski’s departure. Christian Ruebeck replaced Serwinowski in the fourth inning and held Northwest Arkansas scoreless for an inning and a third.
Kelvin Ramirez relinquished a run as he worked the sixth inning and finished with two strikeouts.
Evan Shaw pitched the next two innings and did not allow a run by holding the Naturals to only one hit and no walks with two strikeouts, before Hobbs closed it out in the ninth.
GAME NOTES
*The victory was the 84th of the season for the Drillers, increasing the franchise record for the most wins in a season.
*Ruebeck picked up the victory, his first win at the Double-A level. The former University of Oklahoma hurler is now 1-1 with the Drillers.
*Serwinowski entered Tuesday tied with Springfield’s Daniel Eagen for the most strikeouts in the Texas League with 146. Eagen struck out 11 in his start on Tuesday to finish with 157 punchouts, compared to 150 for Serwinowski in what was likely his final appearance of the regular season.
*Myers filled up the box score by reaching base in four of his five plate appearances. He recorded three hits, two RBI, one run scored and a walk.
*De Paula scored two runs to bring his total to 105 for the season. It matches Tim Wheeler’s Drillers single-season franchise record of 105 run scored that was set in 2011. De Paula is the first Tulsa player to score 100 runs in a season since Wheeler set the record.
*Jake Gelof did not homer, leaving him with 32 on the season, one behind the Tulsa professional baseball record of 33 home runs hit by Wheeler in that 2011 season. Gelof finished 1-2 with three walks and drove in two runs on two baes loaded walks to give him 96 RBI for the season.
*The Drillers announced on Tuesday that reliever Ruebeck was activated from the Injured List and that pitcher Wyatt Crowell was placed on the Development List.
UP NEXT
The Drillers will continue their final series of the regular season on Wednesday night against the Naturals at Arvest Ballpark with game two of the six-game set. Starting time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and the pitching matchup is expected to be:
Tulsa – RHP Aidan Foeller (2-1, 1.37 ERA)
Northwest Arkansas– RHP Drew Beam (9-10, 6.59 ERA)