Riders cruise to commanding victory over Naturals

FRISCO, Texas (June 10, 2021) – The Frisco RoughRiders defeated the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 10-3 on Thursday night from Riders Field in Frisco.

The Riders (19-13) crushed a season-best five home runs.

Frisco responded early after a two-run first inning by the Naturals (15-15) when Sherten Apostel hit his first homer of the night, a solo shot to lead off the second inning.

The Riders third baseman Jake Hoover then delivered a double down the right field line scoring Josh Stowers and Matt Whatley in the same frame to vault Frisco in front 3-2.

Dio Arias then produced a two-run double plating J.P. Martinez and Hoover to cap off a five-run second inning for the Riders.

Apostel drilled his second home run of the game in the Riders half of the third inning pushing the Riders advantage to 6-2. Stowers followed, blasting his third homer of the year two pitches later in the inning, making the lead 7-2.

In the fifth inning, Whatley joined the derby as he delivered an opposite-field, two-run homer, his first of the season.

Later, in the seventh, Stowers blasted his second home run of the contest giving the Riders a 10-3 lead that would stand for the remainder of the game.

The Riders Hans Crouse threw four innings in his start while allowing three earned runs and striking out six.

Blake Bass (2-0)earned his second win out of the bullpen, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings while striking out one.

Drew Parrish (0-1) lasted 1.2 innings while allowing five earned runs in a loss for the Naturals.

The Riders are back Friday night against the Naturals at 7:05 pm from Riders field. RHP Yerry Rodriguez (0-1, 3.65) goes for the RoughRiders against LHP Austin Cox (0-1, 6.14) for Northwest Arkansas.

It is Fireworks Friday with a postgame fireworks display, so get your tickets at RidersBaseball.com or call 972.334.1993.

About the RoughRiders

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance in each of the last 15 seasons (2005-2019). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 160 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including current Rangers players Jose Trevino, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Joey Gallo. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected]