NATURALS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT, TAKE SERIES OPENER OVER SPRINGFIELD 8-7
SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals battled back-and-forth with the Springfield Cardinals but came out ahead in Tuesday’s series opener, with an 8-7 win at Arvest Ballpark. After the Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead, the Naturals responded with a five-run third inning as Tyler Gentry singled in
SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals battled back-and-forth with the Springfield Cardinals but came out ahead in Tuesday’s series opener, with an 8-7 win at Arvest Ballpark.
After the Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead, the Naturals responded with a five-run third inning as Tyler Gentry singled in two to tie the game and Robbie Glendinning connected on a go-ahead three-run homer.
Springfield scored two in the fourth and one in the fifth to tie the game, the added two more in the sixth to take the lead but the Naturals had an answer in the bottom of the sixth, as Morgan McCullough singled home one and Diego Hernandez drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly to deep right-center.
Tied at 7-7 going into the bottom of the seventh, the first four batters of the inning reached for Northwest Arkansas, including a go-ahead RBI double from catcher Luca Tresh.
One run was all the Naturals needed to come out ahead, as right-hander Stephen Woods Jr. delivered two scoreless innings of relief to keep the game close, pitching out of jams in the seventh and eighth. The second out of the eighth came on a brilliant throw from Gentry in the outfield, as Springfield’s Mike Antico tried to score from second on a single to right field, but Gentry fired a throw home and Tresh tagged Antico to keep the tying run from scoring. It was the Naturals’ 30th outfield assist of the year, Gentry’s seventh in just his 38th game in the outfield with the Naturals.
Yefri Del Rosario allowed a leadoff single in the ninth, promptly picked the runner off and recorded a quick groundout and flyout to finish the game, securing his fifth save of the year.
Making his first Double-A start, right-hander Zach Haake pitched into the fourth inning, striking out three over 3.2 innings. He left having surrendered just two runs but was charged with three, on five hits and just one walk over a season-high 59 pitches.
The victory is Northwest Arkansas’ first at home against Springfield this season and the team’s fourth straight win, just the second four-game winning streak of the season.
The Naturals will try and make it five straight on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. CT as right-haner Alec Marsh makes his 21st start of the year for Northwest Arkansas.