NATURALS DROP SERIES OPENER TO TRAVELERS IN NORTH LITTLE ROCK

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR ­– Despite keeping the Arkansas Travelers scoreless over the last two-third of the game, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals could not come back from an early deficit, falling 8-1 in the series opener Tuesday night.

The Travelers took an early lead with four runs in the first inning, then added four more runs of insurance in the third, seven of the eight runs charged to the Naturals’ starting pitcher, T.J. Sikkema.

Left-hander Walter Pennington allowed Arkansas’ eighth run of the game to score in the third inning, then threw scoreless fourth and fifth innings, retiring seven of the last eight batters he faced.

Pennington was followed by Stephen Woods Jr., who threw 2.0 scoreless innings, stranding the bases loaded in the sixth then retiring the Travelers in order in the seventh. Will Klein faced the minimum in a scoreless eighth, using a double play to erase a leadoff single, as the Travelers could not add any additional runs after two outs in the third inning.

The Naturals’ only run of the game came across in the second, when Robbie Glendinning scored from second on the first of three Arkansas errors.

Designated hitter Tyler Gentry and right fielder John Rave each collected two hits, four of the club’s six in the game.

The Naturals will try and get back in the win column Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. CT at right-hander Jon Bowlan starts at Dickey-Stephens Park for Northwest Arkansas.