Oilers pick up road sweep at Arkadelphia
ARKADELPHIA – Having been idle since June 19, it would be easy to think that the El Dorado Oilers would have accumulated some rust.
However, that was not the case on Tuesday night, as the Oilers swept a Zone 4 doubleheader over Arkadelphia, winning the opener 9-2 before prevailing in the nightcap 7-1.
In the opener, Denym Padilla and Chase Brumley collaborated on a three-hitter, making a four-run first inning stand up.
Cason Blunt went 2-for2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored for the Oilers, who had eight hits. He also stole three bases.
The strong pitching continued in Game 2 with Landen Rainwater throwing a one-hitter for the Oilers.
Josh Saulsbury keyed the Oilers' offense in the nightcap, going 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs.
Ashton Yarbrough opened the scoring in the first inning of Game 1 with an RBI double and Brumley followed with a two-run triple that scored Yarbrough and Jacob Eubanks, who reached on an infield single.
Brumley later scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.
The Badgers chipped away with single runs in the first and second innings, but the Oilers answered with one run in the fourth, one in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Blunt walked and scored on Saulsbury's double to left-center to account for the scoring in the fourth.
The Oilers manufactured a run in the fifth with Rainwater drawing walk, stealing second and taking third on Eubanks' pop out to the second baseman in shallow right before scoring on Tyler Johnson's RBI single to right.
In the sixth, the Oilers loaded the bases after Blunt walked and stole second and third, and Jax Todd and Padilla also walked.
Hunter Lawrence then delivered a two-run single to right to make it 8-2.
Brumley scored the Oilers' final run after drawing a walk, stealing second and scoring on a double down the left-field line by Blunt.
Padilla (1-0) allowed three hits and two runs with one being earned in four innings of work. He walked three and struck out four.
Brumley got his first save by needing just 22 pitches to work three shutout frames. He struck out one, allowing no hits or walks.
Brumley also had two RBIs in the win, as did Lawrence.
Saulsbury and Johnson had one hit and one RBI, while Eubanks and Yarbrough each had singles.
In Game 2, the Oilers led 3-0 until breaking the game open with four two-out runs in the fifth.
After Todd walked, Rainwater doubled to put runners at second and third, and Eubanks walked to load the bases.
Saulsbury then cleared the bases with a three-run double to left-center to make it 6-0, and Jonah Davis promptly followed with a base hit to left to bring home Saulsbury with the Oilers' final run.
The Oilers opened the scoring in the second after Eubanks walked, stole second and scored on Yarbrough's RBI double.
The Oilers scored a two-out run in the third with Tanner McLelland doubling to left-center before scoring on a base hit by Johnson.
In the fourth, Saulsbury doubled down the right-field line and later scored on a single to center by Padilla that made it 3-0 before the Oilers further extended their lead in the fifth.
Rainwater (1-2) took matters from there, issuing two walks while registering eight strikeouts. The lone run he allowed was unearned.
Yarbrough and Lawrence each had doubles with the former also adding an RBI in the win.
Padilla, Davis and Johnson each had a single and an RBI, while Rainwater had a double and Jacob Webster-Moore had a single.
Eubanks walked twice and scored two runs with Todd adding a walk while scoring one run.
The Oilers (15-5-1, 7-1) will be back in action on Friday when they take on Arkansas Pulpwood 19U in Camden. Game time is set for 7:45 p.m.