Tulsa stood six outs from extending its season, protecting a one-run lead with a rested bullpen and ONEOK Field waiting for a deciding Game 3. Two throws in the eighth inning took that chance apart.
Springfield scored twice in the eighth with help from throwing errors by Mike Sirota and Sean McLain, then added Tai Peete’s two-run homer in the ninth to beat the Drillers 6-4 on Thursday and end Tulsa’s season in Game 2 of the best-of-three North Division playoff series.
The Drillers carried a 3-2 lead into the eighth after Elijah Hainline’s sacrifice fly scored Taylor Young in the seventh. Young had opened the inning with his third walk, and Hainline lifted a ball deep enough to right-center to bring him home ahead of Won-Bin Cho’s throw.
Christian Suarez began the eighth by walking Jesús Báez, then struck out Josiah Ragsdale. Cho followed by lining the first pitch sharply into right. Sirota approached the ball slowly, and his throw got away as Báez rounded third and scored the tying run.
Suarez struck out Tre Richardson III before Jack Gurevitch ripped a two-out double into left. Cho raced home with the go-ahead run, and McLain’s throwing error on the relay allowed Gurevitch to advance to third.
Suarez took the loss and was charged with a blown save after allowing one earned run in two-thirds of an inning. Tulsa’s two errors both came during Springfield’s decisive two-run eighth.
The unraveling was especially cruel because the Drillers had spent the night answering every Springfield threat despite generating little offense of their own. Tulsa finished with three hits, but twice erased one-run deficits before moving ahead.
Báez opened the scoring with a solo homer off Christian Zazueta in the fourth. Tulsa responded with two outs in the bottom half. Eduardo Quintero walked, stole second and scored when McLain dropped a liner into right-center for the Drillers’ first hit.
Cade McGee put Springfield back in front with another solo homer in the fifth. Again, Tulsa answered. Sirota walked and scored from first when Charles Davalan lined a two-out single to right, sliding home ahead of Cho’s throw.
Zazueta allowed those two earned runs over five innings, striking out seven and walking one. Luke Fox followed with two scoreless innings, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the sixth and preserving the tie long enough for Hainline to put Tulsa ahead.
Tulsa’s lineup had chances without many hits. Springfield starter Liam Doyle held the Drillers hitless over 3 2/3 innings despite issuing five walks. He struck out eight and allowed one earned run. Young reached three times on walks, stole a base and scored the go-ahead run, but Tulsa also struck out 11 times. Jake Gelof went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
After the eighth-inning collapse, Peete supplied Springfield’s separation in the ninth. Ryan Campos singled off Jacob Kmatz, and Peete drove the next pitch over the wall in left for a two-run homer. Kmatz allowed two earned runs in one inning, and Springfield’s third homer of the night stretched its lead to 6-3.
The Drillers mounted one final push. Logan Wagner walked and Kole Myers dropped a pinch-hit single into shallow short. Young’s groundout advanced both runners, and Sirota brought Wagner home with another grounder. Randel Clemente then retired Hainline to strand Myers at second and close Tulsa’s season.
For seven innings, Tulsa had done enough with almost no margin: three walks from Young, timely two-out singles from McLain and Davalan, Hainline’s sacrifice fly and a pitching staff that kept Springfield within reach. The margin disappeared on two eighth-inning throws, turning a 3-2 lead into the loss that ended the year.