Travelers rack up runs late

ARKANSAS 12, SPRINGFIELD 4

Runs were tough to come by Sunday until the seventh inning, when the Arkansas Travelers stretched their batting order against the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Park in Springfield, Mo.

The Travs (11-10) scored five times in the seventh inning and four times in the ninth to rout the Cardinals 12-4.

Tied at 3-3, Joe DeCarlo’s second home run of the day and season put the Travs ahead 4-3 with one out, but the inning was just getting going.

Yonathan Mendoza struck out, but Chuck Taylor’s single was sandwiched between walks drawn by Braden Bishop and Beau Amaral to load the bases with two outs. Joey Curletta’s grand slam to left field put the Travs up 8-3.

Darren Seferina’s RBI single cut Springfield’s deficit to 8-4 in the bottom of the eighth, but the Travs responded in the ninth.

Mendoza singled, Bishop walked and Taylor singled to load the bases with no one out. Mendoza scored on

Amaral’s fielder’s choice, and Chris Mariscal’s two-run single put Arkansas up 11-4 on the Cardinals (12-9). A wild pitch allowed Mariscal to score the 12th run.

Chase De Jong (2-1) earned the victory, yielding 3 runs on 7 hits while walking no one and striking out 4 in 6 innings.

DeCarlo was 3 for 5 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI. Mariscal