ALEXANDER AND GENTRY HOMER, BUT NATURALS FALL TO TRAVELERS

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR ­– The Northwest Arkansas Naturals twice brought the tying run to the plate Saturday night and despite home runs from CJ Alexander and Tyler Gentry, could not get ahead of the Arkansas Travelers, falling 11-5.

The Travelers led from the early moments of the ballgame, as the first five hitters in the bottom of the first inning reached base, producing four runs for an early lead they did not relinquish.

Arkansas added one in the second inning, the final run starting pitcher Andrew Hoffmann allowed in a 2.0-inning start.

Trailing 5-0 into the fourth inning, the Naturals strung together four straight hits with one out, including a three-run homer from Alexander, his third of the season, seventh this month and 23rd overall this season. After Robbie Glendinning singled, the tying run came to the plate with one out, but Northwest Arkansas could not push it across.

The Travelers scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to jump out to a further lead, then the Naturals added a run in the sixth when Alexander opened the inning with his third hit of the night and scored on a Seuly Matias sacrifice fly. The single from Alexander represents his 10th multi-hit game in 23 games with the Naturals, his first three-hit game though.

Gentry opened the top of the eighth with a solo home run to left field, his 12th with the Naturals, then a two-out single from Luca Tresh brought the tying run to the plate, but once again Northwest Arkansas could not get any closer.

Like in the fourth, the Travelers took advantage and pushed ahead, scoring four unearned runs for an 11-5 lead that held to be final.

After Hoffmann lasted just two innings, Walter Pennington offered three frames of relief, working around a leadoff triple in the third, then tossing a 1-2-3 fifth inning. Stephen Woods Jr. followed Pennington and retired eight of his first nine batters, before a two-out error led to a spiral that led to the Travelers stringing together four straight hits and a walk to knock Woods Jr. out of the game, plating four unearned runs.

Yefri Del Rosario needed only three pitches for a strikeout to end the eighth, but the six-run deficit was too much to come back from.

The Naturals will try and end the week on a high note, as left-hander T.J. Sikkema heads to the mound for a 1:35 p.m. CT first pitch Sunday afternoon at Dickey-Stephens Park.