MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com-NORTH LITTLE ROCK – Branden Florence’s first RBI as an Arkansas Traveler proved to be the game-winner Sunday afternoon, as the Travs edged the San Antonio Missions 3-2 at Dickey-Stephens Park. Florence’s clutch two-out single in a tied sixth-inning game gave Arkansas its eighth win in its last 12 games.

It was just the Travelers’ third win in a game decided by one run in the last 13 such contests.

“We need these wins for morale and confidence. The way we were playing about a month ago, losing all those games, we do need these types of wins [in close games],” Arkansas manager Bobby Magallanes said. “I saw morale down yesterday, but today, especially for it being an early game, I saw really good energy from the guys the minute they got to the stadium.”

The Arkansas bullpen came up big when it counted, with Bobby Cassevah inducing a double play and working around an error in the eighth, earning his fourth hold. Bobby Mosebach allowed two baserunners in the ninth but got the final out with the tying run on third base to earn the save (3).

“Great job by those guys. That’s what we need. We need those guys when we get leads late in the game, and I have all the confidence in the world in our bullpen,” Magallanes said.
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Arkansas (23-31) got a quality start from Tommy Mendoza (3-2), who set the tone early for the Travs by retiring the first seven San Antonio batters of the game. Mendoza allowed two runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out three and walked two.

“Tommy pitched really well. He did a great job of damage control. He was in trouble a couple times and pitched his way out of it, and that’s pitching. Sometimes you’re going to get hit, you’re going to miss some pitches, but it’s all about how you come back,” Magallanes said.

The Traveler offense started early too, taking advantage of a pair of wild pitches by Missions starter Ernesto Frieri (5-3) to score twice in the first inning. Leadoff man Coby Smith struck out but reached first on a dropped third strike, went first to third on a Wil Ortiz single, and scored on the second wild pitch of the inning. Hank Conger knocked in Ortiz with a sacrifice fly to left. Conger finished 0-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, but the sacrifice was a line drive to deep left, and he flied out in his last at-bat to the warning track in center field.

Nate Sutton’s hit streak reached double digits Sunday with a single in the third inning. He doubled to leadoff the sixth, and Conger hit into a fielder’s choice and reached second base when Sutton was caught in a rundown. Mark Trumbo popped out, and then Jay Caligiuri drew a two-out walk to set up Florence’s game-winning at-bat.

Florence’s RBI-single was all the lead the Traveler bullpen would need to preserve the Arkansas win. The rightfielder now owns an 8-game hit streak and has 12 hits and 12 games since signing with the Travs on May 24.

“That was his first RBI of the season, and we expect those things out of him,” Magallanes said. “He’s starting to get his feet under himself here, and he’s getting a lot of hits.”

San Antonio (27-28) out-hit Arkansas 8-6 but only mustered the two runs after leaving 10 runners on base as a team. The Missions’ bullpen pitched well, with Brandon Gomes and Tim Stauffer combining for 2.1 innings with only one baserunner, but the team’s offense only scored in the sixth inning. Eric Sogard reached on a bunt single off Mendoza, and catcher Mitch Canham hit a standup RBI-triple to score Sogard with two outs. Seth Johnston knocked in Canham with a single up the middle to tie the game until Florence’s hit in the bottom of the frame.

Dickey-Stephens Park drew a crowd of 5,183 for game two of the series that lasted 2:38.

Centerfielder Peter Bourjos (wrist) is looking at a possible trip to the disabled list. He has missed the last four games after hurting his left wrist in batting practice and likely will not play in the upcoming road trip to Northwest Arkansas, five games in four days beginning Wednesday.

Arkansas’s Trevor Bell (4-2, 2.30 ERA) will pitch for the series win Monday at 7:10 p.m. against the Missions, who will start Stephen Faris (2-7, 5.43) in the rubber game.

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