COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AS NATURALS DROP GAME 2 TO WIND SURGE 4-3 

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals rallied in ninth and got the tying run into scoring position, but could not complete the comeback, as the Wichita Wind Surge took the second game of the series, 4-3 Wednesday night at Arvest Ballpark.

The Naturals were forced to play from behind early, as the Wind Surge jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second off starter Angel Zerpa and held a lead for the rest of the night.

Zerpa allowed just that one run across 4.0 innings, striking out three and at a point from the second to the fourth innings, the southpaw retired six consecutive batters.

Zack Phillips and Stephen Woods Jr. combined to pitch the next 2.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing three runs while combining to strike out six.

Holden Capps took over for Woods Jr. with two on and one out in the ninth and faced one batter, procuring a 9-2 double play to end the inning, Nate Eaton’s second outfield assist from right field in the game.

The two teams tied with eight hits each, with three Naturals producing multi-hit efforts. Catcher Logan Porter went 2-for-3 and scored twice, homering for the third time this season to lead off the seventh inning. At the time, his homer brought the Naturals within two runs, but the Wind Surge scored a run in the ninth to jump three runs ahead again.

Porter singled to lead off the ninth, then after Tucker Bradley reached on an error, the two scored on a two-run single from Maikel Garcia, on Garcia’s second hit of the night.

Center fielder John Rave went 2-for-5 as well, but Garcia’s singled and stole second, the Naturals couldn’t bring him home and fell a run short.

Garcia’s two hits stretched his hitting streak to 13 games, tied for the second-longest in the Texas League this year, the longest for a Naturals player this season.

Northwest Arkansas is back in action against Wichita Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. CT at Arvest Ballpark, as Alec Marsh makes his sixth start of the year.