Amarillo, TX – Tulsa pitcher Adam Serwinowski came into his start on Wednesday night at Amarillo’s HODGETOWN having allowed just two runs in 12 1/3 innings over his last two starts. Despite taking the mound in a ballpark that is known to produce high-scoring games, Serwinowski was able keep his impressive run going. The lefthander limited the Sod Poodles to just two hits and one run in six strong innings to lead the Drillers to their eighth straight win.
Serwinowski was backed with 16 hits from the Tulsa offense, led by a three-hit night from Josue De Paula and a four-RBI night from Chris Newell. The result was an 8-3 victory for the Drillers.
The eight-game winning streak is the longest this season for the Drillers. The victory also allowed them to maintain their first-place lead in the Texas League’s North Division, 1 ½ games in front of Arkansas.
For the second straight game, Amarillo took an initial lead, scoring the first run of the night in the bottom of the second inning. A pair of walks gave the Sod Poodles runners at first and second with two outs. Gavin Logan delivered with a base hit to right field that plated one of the runners to give Amarillo a 1-0 lead.
The Drillers pulled even with their first run in the top of the fourth. Griffin Lockwood-Powell led off with a double and advanced to third on a base hit by Kyle Nevin. A sacrifice fly from Jake Gelof scored Lockwood-Powell and tied the score at 1-1.
It would be the first of eight straight run for the Drillers as they went ahead with a three-run sixth. With one out, Gelof walked to bring Newell to the plate. The outfielder delivered when he lofted a high fly ball down the left field that carried over the fence, just inside the foul pole, for a two-run homer.
Following the homer, Taylor Young drew a walk and stole second base. From there, he scored on a double from De Paula to cap a three-run inning and increase the Drillers lead to 4-1.
Newell added to Tulsa’s lead in the top of the seventh. With two outs and the bases loaded, Newell delivered an infield single and picked up two more RBI when the ball deflected off the glove of second baseman Demetrio Crisantes.
The Drillers added their final run in the top of the ninth.
Serwinowski picked up his third straight win to improve his record to 4-2. In the three-game streak, he has a 1.47 ERA and has 24 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings pitched.
Nick Robertson followed Serwinowski to the mound and kept his scoreless streak intact. Robertson worked two full innings and has yet to allow a run this season, a stretch covering 16 games and 23 1/3 innings.
Lucas Wepf pitched the ninth, his first appearance since returning from the Injured List. Wepf was the victim of two solo home runs in his one-inning of work.
GAME NOTES
*De Paula was 3-6 on the night, extending hitting streak to 11 straight games. He has also reached base safely in 20 straight games. In his 11-game hitting streak, he is 24-48 for .500 average.
*Gelof had his 11-game hitting streak come to an end after a post-game scoring change. He was originally determined to have reached on an infield single in the ninth inning, but it was later changed to an error on the third baseman. The change left Gelof 0-2 on the night with two walks.
*Mike Sirota and Elijah Hainline also extended streaks. Sirota had two hits and has now reached base in 43 straight games, including in all 13 he has played with the Drillers.
Hainline was a perfect 3-3 to reach base in his 19th consecutive game.
*Lockwood-Powell had two hits in the game and has now hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games. The catcher is hitting .368 over that stretch of games.
UP NEXT
The Drillers and Sod Poodles will resume their six-game series on Thursday night at HODGETOWN. Starting time is set for 7:05 p.m. and the starting pitchers are scheduled to be:
Tulsa – RHP Payton Martin (1-2, 5.45 ERA)
Amarillo – RHP Daniel Egan (0-5, 6.35 ERA)