McCullough Homers Twice in Growlin' Chickens Win Friday
Morgan McCullough had his first multi-home run game in affiliated baseball and John Rave hit a late blast of his own to boost the Northwest Arkansas Growlin' Chickens (18-19) to a 5-3 win on Friday night over the Springfield Cardinals (15-22). The Growlin' Chickens return for a second night on
Morgan McCullough had his first multi-home run game in affiliated baseball and John Rave hit a late blast of his own to boost the Northwest Arkansas Growlin' Chickens (18-19) to a 5-3 win on Friday night over the Springfield Cardinals (15-22). The Growlin' Chickens return for a second night on Saturday against Springfield with a 6:05 PM CT first pitch.
The Cardinals took a first-inning lead when Chandler Redmond singled to center with *Mike Antico *coming around to score.
McCullough whacked his second homer of the season and first of the night in the second, blasting a 3-0 pitch off the railing in right to tie the game.
The Cardinals retook the lead in the top of the fourth on a. wild pitch, but McCullough gave NWA the lead for good in the bottom of the frame. Jorge Bonifacio singled with one out back to the pitcher, and with two outs, the Growlin' Chickens infielder blasted home run number two of the night on the second pitch he saw to give NWA a 3-2 lead.
Rave hit his fifth homer of the season, a two-run shot, in the eighth inning to extend the lead to 5-2. It proved crucial in the ninth when Springfield scored to make it a two-run game, but *Steven Cruz *and the Growlin' Chickens closed out a second-straight win against the Cardinals.
Yefri Del Rosario (3-0) earned a win after 2.2 innings of hitless, scoreless baseball. Christian Chamberlain earned his third hold of the year after 2.0 frames while allowing three walks with a strikeout. Cruz earned his team-leading third save of the year after an inning of work with an unearned run on two hits with a strikeout.
The two teams continue their series on Saturday with a 6:05 PM CT first pitch when *RHP Andrew Hoffmann (2-2, 4.41) *takes the mound for the Growlin' Chickens.
Fans can get their tickets by clicking here or catch all the action by tuning into the broadcast with the "Voice of the Naturals", Shawn Murnin, on the Bally Live App, MiLB.TV, or listening at nwanaturals.com or through the MiLB First Pitch App, which is available on Android and IOS devices.