RedHawks Clinch Series Win Over New Orleans With 5-3 Win

The Oklahoma City RedHawks (13-10) clinched their first home series of the season Sunday with a 5-3 win against the New Orleans Zephyrs (10-12) in front of a crowd of 7,806 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

The RedHawks won the four-game series, 3-1, and took over first place in the PCL American Southern Division with their third-straight victory.

RedHawks pitcher Brett Oberholtzer (1-2) posted a season-high five strikeouts in the win, allowing six hits and two runs in five innings. He rejoined the RedHawks April 25 after making his Major League debut with the Astros one week ago.

Jonathan Villar and Andy Simunic led Oklahoma City with two hits each.

Trevor Crowe scored the first run of the game when Jimmy Paredes grounded out for a 1-0 Oklahoma City lead in the first inning. The Zephyrs later tied the game, 1-1, in the fourth inning on a solo home run from Ed Lucas.

Paredes tripled in the bottom of the fourth inning and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Marc Krauss to give the RedHawks a 2-1 edge.

The RedHawks added two runs in the fifth inning to extend to a 4-1 lead. Cody Clark hit a RBI-single to right field to score Villar and Raoul Torrez grounded into a force out and scored Andy Simunic for the three-run lead.

Gorkys Hernandez singled to score Kevin Mattison and cut into the RedHawks lead, 4-2, in the sixth.

Villar hit his first home run of the season to right field to extend Oklahoma City's lead to 5-2 in the seventh.

Lucas scored on a sacrifice fly from Matt Downs to score the Zephyrs' third run in the eighth inning.

Oklahoma City's Jose Valdez was credited with his sixth save of the season, striking out two and allowing one hit in one inning pitched. New Orleans pitcher Jacob Turner (1-3) went six innings and allowed four hits, four runs and struck out two in the loss.

The RedHawks' eight-game homestand continues with a 7:05 p.m. game Monday against Nashville at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Monday opens a four-game series between the teams in Oklahoma City.