NATURALS WIN BACK-AND-FORTH AFFAIR WITH DRILLERS

SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals went back-and-forth all game long with the Tulsa Drillers Tuesday night at Arvest Ballpark but scored four unanswered runs to jump ahead and take the first game of the series, 9-5.

After Tulsa took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, Jake Means promptly put the Naturals ahead with a two-run home run, his eighth homer of the year.

The Drillers scored runs in the fourth and fifth to tie the game and take the lead, then Northwest Arkansas responded with three in the bottom of the fifth, on four hits and two Tulsa errors to leap ahead by two.

Tulsa used a two-run homer to tie the game in the top of the seventh, before John Rave smashed a three-run home run to left-center field, to put the Naturals ahead 8-5 and on top for good.

Six Naturals collected two-hit games, including left fielder and leadoff hitter Tucker Bradley, who went 2-for-5, with an RBI single of insurance in the eighth inning.

Nick Loftin, Tyler Gentry, Rave, Tyler Cropley and Means each produced two-hit nights as well, with Gentry, Cropley and Means each scoring twice.

Starting pitcher Dante Biasi saw his 12-inning scoreless streak snapped in the third inning, when the Drillers took a 1-0 lead. However, the reigning Texas League Pitcher of the Week pitched 5.0 innings for the fourth time in five starts with five strikeouts in a no-decision.

Left-hander Christian Chamberlain was the first arm out of the bullpen behind Biasi and retired the first five he faced, before putting a runner on and surrendering the two-run homer that tied the game.

While Chamberlain earned the win after the Naturals took the lead in the seventh, right-hander Yefri Del Rosario earned his second straight save, pitching 2.0 scoreless innings, with a pair of strikeouts at the back end, his fourth save of the year.

Northwest Arkansas returns to action Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. CT with left-hander T.J. Sikkema making his Naturals debut.