MARSH DEALS FIVE ONE-RUN INNINGS BUT NATURALS RALLY FALLS SHORT IN NINTH

Marsh dazzles for five innings, but sixth inning rally for San Antonio pushes Missions to victory over Naturals.

Alec Marsh struck out five across five one-run innings in his no-decision on Thursday. (Alan Jamison)

By Naturals PR Department

August 19, 2022

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but fell short Thursday night, in an 8-5 loss to the San Antonio Missions. Starting pitcher Alec Marsh delivered one of his best outings of the season, as the right-hander held San Antonio

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but fell short Thursday night, in an 8-5 loss to the San Antonio Missions.

Starting pitcher Alec Marsh delivered one of his best outings of the season, as the right-hander held San Antonio to just one run on four hits (all singles) over 5.0 innings, while striking out five and walking just one. It was just his second outing this season allowing fewer than two runs, and his first since May 25 allowing less than three runs.

Northwest Arkansas, however, could not provide much in the way of offensive support for Marsh, scoring just one run over the first five innings, on an RBI single from second baseman Morgan McCullough, that at the time tied the game 1-1.

The game remained tied at one until the sixth, when the Missions struck for five runs off left-hander Asa Lacy, and they stayed on top the rest of the night.

After San Antonio scored runs of insurance in the seventh and eighth against Naturals left-hander Emilio Márquez, Northwest Arkansas inched closer in the eighth, on a three-run homer from Jake Means, his ninth long ball of the year.

After getting the final out of the eighth, Yefri Del Rosario pitched a scoreless ninth, the Naturals began to rally in the bottom half, loading the bases against former Razorback Kevin Kopps with just one out. Representing the tying run, Seuly Matias connected on a sacrifice fly to score Tyler Gentry, to bring the Naturals within three. With two outs, Jake Means drove a fly ball deep to right-center field, but the 366-foot blast was tracked down at the wall by San Antonio’s center fielder to end the game.

Seven of nine Naturals hitters recorded a hit, including two from Gentry. Means and catcher Sebastian Rivero each walked twice, but Northwest Arkansas fell for the seventh straight contest, 8-5

The Naturals will try to get back in the win column Friday at 7:05 p.m. CT at Arvest Ballpark with right-hander Andrew Hoffmann headed to the mound.