Naturals Drop Extra Inning Affair with Travelers

Javier Vaz collected his first three-hit game of the season, but the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (17-17) fell 4-3 in 12 innings to the Arkansas Travelers (20-15) on Thursday night at Dickey-Stephens Park.

The Naturals scratched across their first run of the game in the top of the third off Travelers starter Blas Castano. Vaz led off the frame with a single and moved up to third on a fielding error by the Travelers second baseman, Hogan Windish. Cayden Wallace flew out to center, scoring Vaz to put Northwest Arkansas up 1-0. Arkansas tied the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the seventh against Northwest Arkansas reliever Tyson Guerrero.

In the top of the 11th, the Naturals took the lead off Travelers reliever Travis Kuhn. With Josh Lester at third, Diego Hernandez knocked a sacrifice fly to right, plating Lester to make it a 2-1 ballgame. Arkansas answered back with a run in the bottom half of the inning off Northwest Arkansas reliever Ryan Brady to make it 2-2.

Vaz drove in a run on a single in the top of the 12th off Travelers reliever Jarod Bayless, but Spencer Packard blasted a two-run homer in the bottom half against Naturals reliever Beck Way to end the game at 4-3.

Bayless (1-1) recorded the win, letting up a hit and a run in the 12th inning. Way (1-2) took the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit over 0.2 frames.

The Naturals and Travelers will play game four of a six-game series on Friday night with first pitch set for 7:05 PM CT. Northwest Arkansas starts RHP Luinder Avila (1-3, 7.40), while Arkansas counters with RHP Logan Evans (3-1, 1.34).