9TH INNING COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AS NATURALS DROP SECOND STRAIGHT TO SPRINGFIELD

Naturals bring tying run to the plate in the ninth for second straight game.

Tyler Gentry went 2-for-4 with a home run in Wednesday's loss to the Cardinals. (Alan Jamison)

By Naturals PR Department

June 22, 2022

SPRINDALE, AR – For the second straight game, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals put the tying run on first and brought the winning run to the plate in the ninth inning, but could not close the gap, falling to the Springfield Cardinals 9-6. After falling behind in the first, the Naturals

SPRINDALE, AR – For the second straight game, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals put the tying run on first and brought the winning run to the plate in the ninth inning, but could not close the gap, falling to the Springfield Cardinals 9-6.

After falling behind in the first, the Naturals jumped ahead in the third inning, on an RBI single from Nick Loftin and two-run homer from Tyler Gentry, at the time pushing the score to 3-1.

Seuly Matias homered to lead off the fourth, his team-best 11th of the season, then Logan Porter brought home Gentry on a fielder’s choice in the fifth inning, taking back a run the Cardinals scored in the top of the fifth.

Springfield took the lead for good in the sixth inning, tagging a pair of Naturals relievers for five runs, then adding insurance runs in the seventh and eighth.

Northwest Arkansas made the game close in the ninth inning, loading the bases on three straight singles, then scoring a run on a hit batter, but could not push across any further runs, falling by three and leaving the tying run on first for the second straight game.

Loftin led the way with a three-hit game, while Gentry, Robbie Glendinning and Tucker Bradley each contributed two-hit efforts.

The Naturals will try and pick up their first win of the week, Thursday at 7:05 p.m. CT as Alec Marsh heads to the mound to start.