NATURALS DROP SERIES FINALE TO HOOKS

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals were unable to secure a series split with the Corpus Christi Hooks, dropping Sunday’s series finale 17-4 at Arvest Ballpark, the largest margin of defeat this season.

Corpus Christi scored at least two runs in seven of the game’s nine innings, tagging every Naturals pitcher for at least two runs, two hits and two walks. The Hooks totaled 17 runs on 16 hits and 16 walks off Naturals pitching, as Northwest Arkansas had to use six pitchers to finish the game.

Combined, Naturals pitchers did also strike out 11, though, including five from starter Alec Marsh across 2.0 innings of work.

Down 8-0 heading into the fourth, Northwest Arkansas was finally able to crack onto the scoreboard, as Maikel Garcia doubled off the wall to begin the inning and scored moments later on an opposite-field two-run home run from Tucker Bradley, Bradley’s sixth homer this year.

Garcia was replaced defensively at shortstop in the seventh by Ryan Grotjohn, who left the yard in his lone trip to the plate, a two-run home run to left field that scored Jake Means to give the Naturals their final runs of the game.

Bradley and Michael Massey followed Grotjohn with back-to-back hits, but Northwest Arkansas was unable to close the deficit any further Sunday afternoon.

The Naturals return to action Tuesday, as the team hits the road and travels to Tulsa for six games at ONEOK Field against the Tulsa Drillers, beginning at 7:05 p.m. CT on Tuesday night.