NATURALS MASH THREE MORE HOMERS TO SECURE SPLIT WITH SODDIES

SPRINGDALE, AR – Three home runs for the third game this week helped power the Northwest Arkansas Naturals to a 9-5 win over the Amarillo Sod Poodles, securing a series split for the Naturals.

Michael Massey drove in his first of four runs on the afternoon in the first inning, as he brought home Maikel Garcia on a sacrifice fly to put Northwest Arkansas up 1-0.

After Massey’s sac fly, home runs powered the Naturals past the Sod Poodles. Logan Porter connected for his first of the season in the second, a two-run shot to left field. In the third, Robbie Glendinning blasted his third of the year, also a two-run shot to left that at the time cushioned the lead to 5-2.

Massey added insurance in the seventh, connecting on his team-leading fifth long ball of the year – a three run shot that at the time furthered the Northwest Arkansas advantage to 8-2.

At the top of the order, Garcia went 4-for-5, the first four-hit game of the year for a Naturals hitter. After scoring in the first, he came around on Massey’s homer in the seventh and scored in the eighth as well, crossing on a wild pitch for a run of insurance.

Starting pitcher Drew Parrish earned his second win of the season, allowing two runs across 5.0 innings with no walks and four strikeouts. Yefri Del Rosario followed Parrish with 2.0 scoreless innings and Zach Willeman finished the game with 2.0 more innings, allowing three runs in the eighth but with a scoreless ninth, striking out three in total.

The Naturals hit the road next and travel to Hammons Field for a six-game series with the Springfield Cardinals, starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. CT, with left-hander Anthony Veneziano making his fifth start of the season.