Travs' offense wakes up, wins series

TRAVELRS 8, ROUGHRIDERS 1

Scoring only two runs in two games after the Texas League All-Star break led to an offensive breakout by the Arkansas Travelers on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, right-handed Arkansas starter Jordan Kipper (7-3) maintained the Travelers' run of solid pitching. He allowed 4 hits and 1 unearned run through 6 innings in the Travelers' 8-1 victory over the Frisco RoughRiders at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.

Arkansas gave up a total of four runs in its 2-1 series victory over Frisco, scoring 10 itself.

"Our pitchers are awesome," third baseman and offensive star Andrew Daniel said. "They always keep us in the game even when we're not scoring runs. It was nice to give them some support tonight."

Daniel had a single, double, and home run and had three RBI and a run scored in four at-bats. His first two hits came off Frisco left-handed starter Victor Pavano (5-5), who allowed 5 hits and 4 runs in 5 innings.

"Daniel is starting to swing the bat," Arkansas Manager Mark Parent said. "He's been hot and cold, but I think he's found something that should hold up."

"We've had a lot of offensive struggles," Daniel said. "We just haven't been consistent with a lot of runs and a lot hits. It's mostly been here or there, so this is nice. Hopefully this will carry over and snowball into us being consistently good."

Right fielder Caleb Adams started the Travelers offense, leading off with a single, advancing to second on a passed ball, and scoring on Daniel's one-out double.

Frisco evened the score in a slapstick third inning that featured two Travelers errors and a base-running mistake that may have kept the RoughRiders from taking the lead.

Right fielder Alberto Triunfel led off with a single, went to second after second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa's walk, and scored when Travelers shortstop Angel Rosa's throw to second flew over the head of second baseman Alex Yarbrough. Triunfel scored to tie the game, but first baseman Eric Aguilera's throw home beat Kiner-Falefa by 5 feet. Catcher's interference on Stephen McGee, followed by a walk, loaded the bases, but a groundout by left fielder Joe Jackson ended the inning.

"That was different, but you know when you get through an inning like that and only give up a run, you must be doing something right," Parent said.

Arkansas took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning on Daniel's two-run home run over the left-field wall. It was his third of the season and his first at Dickey-Stephens.

"I didn't really expect it to go out," Daniels said. "I've seen a lot of balls hit hard here that just die. Fortunately it went out."

"We'll remember him," Frisco hitting coach Jason Hart said. "And he also took some hits from us. He hit the ball well and played some good defense, too, so we'll remember him."

McGee led off the Travelers' fifth with his second home run of the season to give Arkansas a 4-1 lead.

Consecutive two-out hits highlighted the bottom of the sixth for Arkansas. Aguilera singled to lead off and remained at first through two outs before Rosa's double advanced Aguilera to third. Center fielder Forrestt Allday (Central Arkansas), in his 15th game as a Traveler, picked up his second and third RBI of the season when his sharp single split the infield to give Arkansas a 6-1 lead.

"I just went up there looking for a good pitch to hit," Allday said. "Luckily I found a hole."

Adams completed the rout with his two-run single in the eighth.

"It was a very good game for us," Parent said. "I'll be glad take more like them."

Sports on 07/03/2016