RedHawks Rally For Sunday Win

Back-to-back RBI singles with two outs in the eighth inning broke a tied game and propelled the Oklahoma City RedHawks to a 7-5 win Sunday against the Nashville Sounds in front of a crowd of 4,576 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

With the game tied, 5-5, and with two outs, Carlos Perez and Jio Mier connected on back-to-back RBI singles in the bottom of the eighth inning to bring home the go-ahead runs and earn the RedHawks a split in their series with Nashville (53-49).

The RedHawks improved to 52-51 on the season with their fourth win in six games.

Austin Wates led the RedHawks with three hits and notched two RBI. He also scored two runs and recorded his league-leading 27th stolen base of the season.

For the first time in the series, the RedHawks took an early lead, going ahead, 2-0, in the bottom of the first inning.

Wates led off with a double on a line drive to center field and scored on a groundout by Marc Krauss. A RBI double by Preston Tucker later put the RedHawks in front, 2-0.

A RBI single by Kevin Mattison put Nashville on the board in the top of the second inning and cut Oklahoma City's lead to 2-1.

Wates regained a two-run advantage for the RedHawks in the second inning, connecting on a RBI single to center field to score Matt Duffy, who led off the inning with a double.

The Sounds cut into the RedHawks lead in the fifth inning on a RBI single to center field by Eugenio Velez that brought home Irving Falu and made the score, 3-2.

A bunt single by Falu with runners at the corners in the top of the seventh inning brought home the game-tying run and knotted the score, 3-3.

A RBI single by Wates scored Perez, who got on base with a walk, to break the tie and put the RedHawks in front, 4-3, in the seventh.

Wates stole second base, then scored on a single by Jonathan Villar for a 5-3 Oklahoma City lead in the seventh. Villar now has 14 RBI in his 11 games with the RedHawks this season.

A two-run homer into the left-field bleachers by Hector Gomez tied the game, 5-5, in the top of the eighth inning for Nashville.

Perez connected on a RBI single on a grounder to left field to break the tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs.

After a pitching change, Mier followed Perez with a RBI to give the RedHawks a two-run advantage, 7-5, in the eighth still with two outs.

Pitcher Paul Clemens (5-1) earned the win for the RedHawks after entering the game in the seventh inning. Kevin Chapman recorded his seventh save of the season, pitching a scoreless top of the ninth inning and allowing one hit, while striking out two.

Sounds pitcher Brent Leach (4-2) was charged with the loss. Gomez finished with three hits and two RBI for Nashville. He also scored a game-high three runs.

The RedHawks continue their homestand and open a four-game series against the Round Rock Express at 7:05 p.m. Monday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.