GENTRY DRIVES IN FIVE, VENEZIANO DEALS SIX SCORELESS IN SERIES-OPENING WIN AT WICHITA

WICHITA, KS – After a quality start from left-hander Anthony Veneziano, Northwest Arkansas Naturals left fielder Tyler Gentry drove in all five runs in a 5-1 win over the Wichita Wind Surge Tuesday evening.

Veneziano set the tone early, with 6.0 scoreless innings, as he allowed six hits and one walk, with four strikeouts. It was the left-hander’s team-best seventh quality start of the season, though he did not receive any run support, as the game found itself tied 0-0 through the end of seven innings.

After reliever Jonah Dipoto kept Wichita off the board in the bottom of the seventh, Diego Hernández opened the eighth inning with a bunt single, then Gentry drove him in with a two-run home run to left field, his 15th with the Naturals and 20th overall this year.

Dipoto was unable to get an out in the bottom of the eighth, as the Wind Surge loaded the bases with a run in and no outs in the inning. Kasey Kalich recorded a strikeout and double play to work out of the inning and the Naturals entered the ninth up 2-1.

Three walks in the top of the ninth loaded the bases for Gentry with one out, as he ripped a double down the left field line, scoring Jeison Guzmán, Morgan McCullough and Hernández to push the score to the 5-1 that held to be final.

Kalich walked the leadoff man in the bottom of the ninth, then Emilio Márquez came on and recorded the final three outs on 10 pitches, as Northwest Arkansas took the series opener with Wichita.

The Naturals will try and win a second straight game over the Wind Surge Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. from Riverfront Stadium as right-hander Andrew Hoffmann heads to the mound for Northwest Arkansas.