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MLB

Springfield to play in franchise's first-ever winner-take-all Championship game thanks to 4-3 win Tuesday

Down 3-0, the Cards mounted a four-run comeback to force game three.
Game two starter Ixan Henderson high-fives catcher Leonardo Bernal after Springfield held on 4-3 in a do-or-die Championship game.
September 24, 2025

MIDLAND, TX - The Springfield Cardinals forced a winner-take-all game three thanks to a 4-3 victory over the Midland RockHounds on Tuesday night in game two of the 2025 Texas League Championship Series. After falling in a 3-0 hole thanks to a three-run homer, the Cardinals scored four unanswered runs

MIDLAND, TX - The Springfield Cardinals forced a winner-take-all game three thanks to a 4-3 victory over the Midland RockHounds on Tuesday night in game two of the 2025 Texas League Championship Series. After falling in a 3-0 hole thanks to a three-run homer, the Cardinals scored four unanswered runs between the fifth and sixth innings to complete a comeback win on the road.

DECISIONS:

W: Ixan Henderson (2-0)

L: Stevie Emanuels (0-1)

S: Mason Burns (2)

NOTES:

  • Ixan Henderson made his final start of a breakout 2025 season. The lefty surrendered the three-run home run to Midland's Clark Elliot in the bottom of the fourth inning as the lone offense for the RockHounds. Henderson struck out Elliot with the tying run on base to end the sixth inning. Springfield manager Patrick Anderson made a mound visit with Ricardo Velez warm in the Cardinal bullpen, but allowed Henderson to face Elliot one last time. Earlier in the day, the southpaw was named Texas League Pitcher of the Year.
  • Both Leonardo Bernal (fifth inning) and Jeremy Rivas (sixth inning) brought home runs with RBI triples. The latter tied the game at three.
  • Dakota Harris drove Bernal home in the fifth with an infield single. Darlin Moquete drove home the eventual game-winning run with a single over the drawn-in infield. Moquete was seeing his first action of this playoff run after sitting for the previous three games.
  • Velez worked 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball with a hit, walk and two strikeouts.
  • Mason Burns escaped a huge jam in the bottom of the eighth inning with two runners on and two outs. Burns got Tommy White to line out and end the threat with the tying run in scoring position. He would go on to retire the side in order in the bottom of the ninth with a pair of strikeouts and a popout for his second save of this postseason.
  • The Cardinals will play in the franchise's first-ever winner-take-all Texas League Championship game on Wednesday night. Both the 2007 (lost) and 2012 (won) Championship Series went just four games (best-of-five).

UP NEXT:

  • Texas League Championship Series Game 3
  • Wednesday, September 24, 6:35 PM CT at Momentum Bank Ballpark vs Midland RockHounds
  • LHP Brycen Mautz (1-0, 0.00) vs TBA
  • Broadcast available on Classic Rock 106.7 FM, classicrock1067.fm, Bally Sports Live, MiLB.TV
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