NATURALS SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER IN TULSA

TULSA, OK – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals bounced back after a loss Tuesday and rainout Wednesday to sweep a doubleheader over the Tulsa Drillers Thursday evening, with 5-3 and 3-0 wins at ONEOK Field.

After falling behind early 3-0 in the first game, the Naturals scored eight unanswered runs over the rest of the night to claim the team’s fourth straight doubleheader sweep dating back to 2021.

The Drillers scored twice in the second inning and once in the third in the first game, then the Naturals responded in the fourth inning with three runs to tie the game with three straight hits. With one out in the inning, Nick Loftin connected on his sixth home run of the year, a solo shot to left field, then after Michael Massey legged out an infield single, he came around to score on Logan Porter’s seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot to produce the 3-3 tie.

After starting pitcher Dante Biasi secured the first two outs of the bottom of the fourth, left-hander Christian Chamberlain took over and stranded the go-ahead run in scoring position and retired the final six batters he faced over 2.1 scoreless innings to earn the win.

Northwest Arkansas surged ahead in the top of the seventh inning, connecting for three straight hits once again, as Jake Means singled home Seuly Matias and John Rave scored on a wild pitch for a run of insurance.

Jonah Dipoto pitched a scoreless seventh to earn his second save of the season and the Naturals took the momentum, both on the mound and at the plate into the second game of the day.

Anthony Veneziano handed over perhaps the best start of his professional career, as he twirled a seven-inning complete-game shutout of the Drillers, striking out five on just a walk and three hits, using only 79 pitches. It was the team’s first complete game from a starting pitcher this season and the first time in his career pitching past the sixth inning.

After the two-run seventh inning in game one, the Naturals wasted no time in the second game, as doubles from Maikel Garcia and Loftin on the first two pitches of the game produced a run, with Garcia scoring after an error.

The first four batters of the fourth inning reached base for Northwest Arkansas, including three straight hits that produced the two runs, capped by RBI singles from Matias and Means.

Veneziano retired the final eight hitters he faced and 11 of the last 12, only needing five pitches for a 1-2-3 seventh inning to end the night.

The Naturals will try and win their third in a row, Friday at 7:05 p.m. from ONEOK Field in Tulsa.