Back-to-back HRs in 8th hurt Travs

CARDINALS 7, TRAVELERS 3

Irving Lopez and Dylan Carlson hit consecutive home runs in the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie and lift the Springfield Cardinals to a 7-3 victory Sunday over the Arkansas Travelers before an announced crowd of 5,965 at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo.

Johan Mieses opened the inning with a single to left. After Laars Nootbaar struck out looking, Zach Kirtley singled through the hole at shortstop. After Raydere Ascanio popped out, Lopez homered to left field off Joey Gerber to put the Cardinals up 6-3. Two pitches later, Carlson homered to right to set the final margin.

The Travelers tied the game in the seventh when Dom Thompson-Williams homered off Springfield starter Angel Rondon.

The Cardinals took a 3-2 lead in the fourth on a tworun double by Ascanio which scored Brian O’Keefe and Nootbaar.

Mike Ahmed’s two-run home run in the second gave the Travelers a 2-1 lead after Carlson led off the first inning with a solo home run for the Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, playing in his third game for Springfield on a rehab assignment, went 0 for 3 as the designated hitter before before being replaced by Conner Capel in the seventh inning.

Gerber (1-2) took the loss for the Travelers, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits in 1 1/3 innings. Bryan Dobzanski (2-1) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Rondon for the victory.

Mike Ahmed and Jordan Cowan led the Travelers by going 2 for 4 and scoring 1 run. Carlson led the Cardinals by going 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.