Drifters’ Offense Leaves Pickles Behind in 8-4 Win
(Photo by Ella Poor)
By Henry Light
PORTLAND – Hunter Meyer stepped to the plate in the third inning of Springfield’s series opener in Portland, with a zero looming in Drifters' hit column. On the first pitch he saw, the Cal St. Fullerton sophomore smacked a game-tying two-run home run to left field, beginning an offensive onslaught that brought Springfield an 8-4 win.
The Drifters (16 -24, 13-18) found success up and down the lineup, leaving Portland (20-20, 16-15) behind in the middle innings. Chase Nye (2-for-4, RBI, BB) and Meyer (2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB) formed an excellent tandem at the top of the lineup, while the middle of the order turned their successful at-bats into rallies. The win put Springfield in position for its fourth straight series win.
“Hitting’s just contagious,” Lyle said. “The guys talk to each other, and they have good feel, they have good reports, so the conversations after each at-bat are just leading to good takes and good swings.”
Portland starter Ari Kligman held the Drifters hitless his first time through the lineup, but Springfield’s five flyouts to just one strikeout foreshadowed its change in form. The Drifters parlayed Meyer’s homer into a four-hit inning, and while that rally came up empty, the floodgates were open.
“Moving (Meyer) down a little bit gave him more freedom to be aggressive in the strike zone and not feel like he’s a leadoff hitter, and it showed,” Lyle said.
After allowing two runs in the first inning, Drifters starter Griffin Scott settled in to post three straight zeroes. The Oregon lefty battled through frequent deep counts to strike out four batters and hold the Pickles to three hits when Jake Fritz took over in the fifth.
“For (Scott) to want the ball and go out and say, ‘I got you guys,’ and ‘give me the ball,’ was really good. He’s a bulldog,” Lyle said.
In the fifth inning, Springfield loaded the bases through singles by Zach Story, Nye and Meyer with one out. Cooper Mullens put the Drifters in the lead with a sacrifice fly. The second out didn’t slow Springfield down as Nolan Miller singled on the next pitch before Evan Thomas doubled off the right-field wall to give Springfield a 6-2 lead through five.
Karsten Hansen manufactured the Drifters’ seventh run in the sixth, winning an eight-pitch battle with a close infield single before stealing second, tagging to advance to third and scoring on a single by Nye.
The Drifters tacked on another run in the eighth inning thanks to Story’s leadoff walk. Story gradually advanced to third while the Pickles recorded two outs before Meyer brought him in with a hard ground ball to third base to give Springfield an 8-2 lead.
Fritz gave the Drifters three gritty scoreless innings before handing the game off in the eighth inning. The incoming freshman at San Diego Mesa College stranded three walks and a hit-by-pitch with two strikeouts, helped by a consistent ability to throw his slider in the zone.
“He’s been fun to watch,” Lyle said. “He’s a young kid, and we don’t have him full-time, so to see him show up here and there and then come out and get a big three innings in front of a crowd with good energy was really good for him.”
Portland clawed back runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but the Drifters’ offense provided more than enough cushion to take game one.
The win on Tuesday was just the Drifters' third win in Portland all-time and their first since July 28, 2023.
The Drifters will go for the series at 7:05 p.m on July 22. The game will be streamed on the Pickles’ YouTube channel and on the WCL Live app for free.