NATURALS SCORE SEASON-HIGH 14 RUNS IN 14-6 WIN OVER ROCKHOUNDS

MIDLAND, TX – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals set a season high with 14 runs Friday night and tied a season-high with 17 hits, in a bounce back win Friday night, 14-6 over the Midland RockHounds.

All nine Naturals hitters reached base at least once, with eight players recording hits and seven finishing the day with multi-hit games. Eight players scored runs and five scored at least twice, while each of the first six hitters in the order all drove in at least one run, including five multi-RBI nights.

Two-out hitting was the Naturals’ strength in the win, as it has been for much of this road trip. Nine of the club’s 17 hits came with two outs, while eight of 14 runs were driven in with two outs.

After Midland drew four walks and scored one run in the first inning, the Naturals responded with a big second inning, plating six runs, including five with two outs.

Maikel Garcia reached on an error that scored a run, then with two outs the Naturals rallied with four straight RBI hits. Garcia and Jake Means both scored on a two-run double from Michael Massey, Massey’s second double of the game and second of three hits. Robbie Glendinning proceeded to drive in Massey with a single, then scored on an RBI double from Logan Porter, who scored on an RBI double from Seuly Matias the very next pitch.

Northwest Arkansas added three more runs with two outs in the third inning, as Nick Loftin cranked his fifth home run of the season out to left field, a solo shot. Massey singled, eventually coming around to score on a wild pitch after a double steal with Glendinning, who scored on Porter’s second RBI double of the game.

Garcia reached on another run-scoring error in the fourth, and Loftin brought in his second run of the day with a groundout, at the time putting the Naturals up 11-4.

Three more runs scored for the Naturals in the seventh, as they sent nine batters to the plate. Garcia and Loftin singled to begin the inning, then both scored on an RBI single from Glendinning, who crossed the plate moments later, on an RBI single from Matias for the final run of the night.

Will Klein, Dante Biasi and Holden Capps struggled with command through the first half of the game, combining to walk 11 over 4.1 innings, before Andres Sotillet came in and threw 3.2 scoreless innings on 40 pitches, while striking out a pair. Jonah Dipoto relieved Sotillet and retired all four batters he faced to finish the game.

Back at .500 with a 21-21 record, the Naturals will look to secure a series win Saturday at 7:00 p.m. CT, as Anthony Veneziano takes the mound for Northwest Arkansas.