PARRISH DAZZLES AS NATURALS SHUT OUT CARDINALS 4-0

SPRINGFIELD, MO – Left-handed pitcher Drew Parrish delivered his best start of the season for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, silencing the Springfield Cardinals Saturday night, with 7.0 shutout innings, en route to a 4-0 victory, the team’s first shutout win of the year.

Parrish threw five 1-2-3 innings across his 7.0 scoreless, only allowing two hits and one walk, while striking out four. Saturday marked his fifth straight start of 5.0 innings or more and his second of 6.0 scoreless or more. He threw a season-high 87 pitches in the start and became the first Natural starter to pitch seven full innings this season, something he did twice last year.

Three of Northwest Arkansas’ four runs in the game were driven home by second Michael Massey. After Maikel Garcia and Nick Loftin opened the top of the first with singles, Massey singled in Loftin to give the Naturals an early 1-0 lead.

In the third, Massey singled in Tucker Bradley, then John Rave drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Garcia. In the fifth, Massey doubled for his third hit of the game, scoring Loftin from second base for his third RBI of the game.

After Northwest Arkansas added a run in the fifth, Parrish continued his stellar start and was followed by Zach Willeman, who pitched 2.0 scoreless innings and added four strikeouts of his own, including striking out the side in the ninth to finish off the game.

Beyond Massey’s three-hit night, Bradley and Loftin each offered two-hit games, with Garcia scoring two runs.

The Naturals look to win the series Sunday at 6:05 p.m. as left-hander Anthony Veneziano makes his sixth start of the year.