LITTLE ROCK — The Texas League’s best team had the biggest hand in making sure the North Division won the Texas League All-Star Game in its home stadium Thursday night.
Playing at Oneok Field, a Tulsa Driller drove in the game’s first run, a Drillers pitcher earned the victory and another Driller earned the save in the North’s 3-1 victory over the South Division in front of an announced crowd of 8,047.
Tulsa third baseman Nolan Arenado hit a ground-rule double to score Springfield’s Kolten Wong to spark a three run fourth inning, which came after Tulsa’s Nick Schmidt pitched a perfect fourth inning.
Schmidt (Arkansas Razorbacks) needed only 10 pitches, eight of which were strikes, to get a pair of ground outs and a fly out to breeze through the fourth and earn the victory. Later, Tulsa’s Coty Woods pitched a perfect ninth for the save in the first Texas League All-Star game in Tulsa since 1999.
After his double, Arenado scored on a home run from Springfield’s Oscar Taveras to right field, which gave the North all the runs it needed.
Schmidt, along with Arkansas Travelers starter A.J. Schugel, was one of four North pitchers to hold the South without a hit through the first 4 1/3 innings. The South finished with just two hits.
Midland’s Jeremy Barfield singled with one out in the fifth off Schugel, but the South didn’t score until the sixth.
Frisco’s Engel Beltre tripled off Arkansas’ Ariel Pena to lead off the sixth, and San Antonio Dean Anna’s sacrifice fly made it 3-1. But Pena got Jose Martinez to ground out to end the inning.
Arkansas shortstop Jean Segura started and went 0for 3, while Roberto Lopez popped out in his only at bat in the seventh inning.
Northwest Arkansas third baseman Mario Lisson pinch hit and went 1 for 2 for the North, while Johnny Whittleman, Carlo Testa and Yem Prades combined to go 0 for 8.
THURSDAY’S GAME Texas League All-Star Game at Tulsa North 3, South 1
TODAY’S GAMES All times Central NW Ark. at Corpus Christi, 7:05 p.m.
Tulsa at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m.
Frisco at Springfield, 7:08 p.m.
Midland at Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
Sports, Pages 27 on 06/29/2012