NATURALS WALK OFF MISSIONS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT NIGHT ON RIVERO WALK-OFF HOMER

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals won in walk-off fashion for the second straight night, as Sebastian Rivero delivered a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th, for a 5-3 win over the San Antonio Missions.

The game stayed tight for much of the night, as the Naturals opened with a run in the first on an RBI groundout from Tyler Gentry. San Antonio added runs in the second and third to tie the game and take the lead and the score remained 2-1 in favor of the Missions until the ninth.

After starting pitcher T.J. Sikkema held the Missions to those two runs over 4.0 innings and a career-high 79 pitches, the Naturals’ bullpen kept San Antonio off the board.

Stephen Woods Jr. and Will Klein followed Sikkema with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief each, then Jonah Dipoto stranded a pair of runners in the ninth, keeping the deficit at one run heading to the bottom of the ninth.

With one out, Tucker Bradley cranked the first pitch he saw out to right field, to tie the game at 2-2 and force extra innings.

Dipoto only allowed one unearned run to score, as the placed runner on second base that began the top of the 10th inning scored, stranding the bases loaded in his second inning of work.

CJ Alexander opened the bottom of the 10th inning as the placed runner, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a John Rave sacrifice fly to tie the game. After Jake Means reached on a fielder’s choice, Rivero stepped to the plate and connected on a two-run home run, his fifth long ball of the season, to win the game, 5-3.

Northwest Arkansas will try and secure a series split, Sunday at 6205 p.m. CT, with right-hander Jon Bowlan on the mound.