NATURALS OVERCOME DEFICIT BUT FALL UP SHORT TO WIND SURGE, 7-6

SPRINGDALE, AR – Down at one point by five runs, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals clawed back to tie Saturday night’s game in the sixth inning, but a two-out hit in the eighth inning for the Wichita Wind Surge pushed them ahead and the Naturals could not come back, falling in the penultimate game of the series, 7-6.

Right-hander Will Klein made his Double-A debut, also his first career start in the game. He struck out one across 1.2 innings of work while allowing three earned runs, before giving way to Anthony Veneziano.

Pitching out of the bullpen for the first time this season, Veneziano retired the final six hitters he faced and nine of the last 10, striking out a season-high five over 4.2 innings, while not walking a batter for the first time this year.

The Naturals offense slowly inched back, first cutting the deficit to three runs with single runs in the second, third and fourth innings.

Logan Porter homered to right field with two outs in the second, his fourth of the season. Maikel Garcia then brought home a pair of runs, scoring on an error in the third and drawing bases-loaded walk in the fourth to put the Naturals within three.

As Veneziano settled into a groove, Northwest Arkansas tied things up in the sixth, as Jake Means scored on a Wichita error, then Nick Loftin doubled in Maikel Garcia and came around to score on a Michael Massey single to tie the score at 6-6.

Holden Capps took over in the seventh and retired the side in order quickly, but the Wind Surge tagged the southpaw for a run with two outs in the eighth.

While the Naturals brought the tying run 90 feet away in the ninth, pinch-runner Nate Eaton was stranded on third base to end the game, as Wichita squeaked out the one-run win.

Northwest Arkansas will try and salvage the series Sunday at 2:05 p.m. CT at Arvest Ballpark, as the Naturals look for a split with Marcelo Martinez returning to the mound for his second start of the week.