FRISCO, Texas (June 26, 2025) — Despite a powerful three-run homer from Aaron Zavala and a pair of late-inning rallies, the Frisco RoughRiders came up just short in a 7-6 loss to the Tulsa Drillers on Thursday night at Riders Field.
Tulsa (27-45) wasted no time getting on the board, as Noah Miller laced a two-run triple in the opening frame off Frisco starter Josh Stephan (5-3). The RoughRiders (40-31) quickly countered in the home half with a run-scoring groundout from Josh Hatcher, narrowing the deficit to 2-1.
Frisco took command in the bottom of the second. Aaron Antonini tied the game with an RBI groundout, setting the stage for Zavala, who crushed a three-run homer—his seventh of the season—to right field, putting the RoughRiders in front 5-2.
But Tulsa flipped the momentum right back in the third. Kendall Simmons launched a grand slam—his fourth home run of the year—to give the Drillers a 6-5 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Miller later added his third RBI of the night with a single in the seventh to extend the lead to 7-5.
In the ninth, Frisco made it interesting. Antonini’s RBI single brought the Riders within a run, putting the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first. But with the game hanging in the balance, Tulsa reliever Antonio Knowles froze Zavala with a strikeout to lock down his fifth save.
Peter Heubeck (2-4) earned the win for Tulsa despite allowing four earned runs and four walks over five innings. Stephan was tagged with the loss for Frisco, yielding five earned runs in three frames.
Notables:
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Abimelec Ortiz reached base in all five plate appearances, drawing a career-high four walks and scoring two runs despite going hitless.
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Reliever Daniel Missaki was stellar out of the bullpen, retiring all nine batters he faced on just 23 pitches. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 4.08.
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Josh Mollerus impressed in his Double-A debut, working two scoreless innings with one strikeout.
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Zavala’s three-run shot gives him 15 RBIs in his last 18 games.
The series continues Friday night as RHP Ryan Lobus (1-1, 3.86 ERA) takes the mound for Frisco against Tulsa’s LHP Jackson Ferris (3-5, 6.14 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. CT from Riders Field.
