NINTH INNING COMEBACK FALLS SHORT IN THIRD STRAIGHT LOSS TO AMARILLO

Six Naturals reach with two outs in the ninth inning, but Northwest Arkansas falls one run short in 11-10 loss.

Nick Loftin homered for the fourth straight game in Friday's loss at Amarillo. (Tim Cambell)

By Naturals PR Department

July 1, 2022

AMARILLO, TX – While the Northwest Arkansas Naturals jumped out to an early lead in the first, the team entered the ninth inning trailing by five runs. Six straight reached with two outs in the ninth, but the comeback fell a run short, as the Amarillo Sod Poodles took the

AMARILLO, TX – While the Northwest Arkansas Naturals jumped out to an early lead in the first, the team entered the ninth inning trailing by five runs. Six straight reached with two outs in the ninth, but the comeback fell a run short, as the Amarillo Sod Poodles took the game, 11-10.

For the third straight game, the Naturals lived for the long ball, with Tyler Gentry giving Northwest Arkansas a 3-0 lead in the first on a three-run homer, his fourth of the week.

While the Sod Poodles inched towards the Naturals with single runs in the first and third, Logan Porter added a run of insurance in the third on a sac fly. Nick Loftin led off the fifth with a home run, his fourth of the week as well, his fourth straight game with a home run. Loftin became the first Natural to homer in four straight games since Wil Myers did so from May 5 to 8 in 2012.

After Loftin's home run, Amarillo tagged starter Noah Murdock and reliever Eric Skoglund for five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to jump out to a 7-5 lead, as the Sod Poodles stayed on top for the rest of the night.

Tucker Bradley brought the Naturals within a run in the sixth, doubling home Jake Means, but the Soddies scored a run in the sixth and three in the seventh to stretch the lead to five runs, a score of 11-6.

Heading into the ninth, the Naturals made two quick outs before cobbling together a two-out rally. Maikel Garcia got things started with a bloop single to left field, the Loftin drew a walk. Gentry singled up the middle to score Garcia, then Robbie Glendinning drilled a three-run homer to the opposite field, a line drive to right that brought the Naturals within a run, 11-10.

Still with two outs, Porter walked and John Rave singled, putting the tying run on third and go-ahead run at first, but after six straight reachd with two outs Amarillo brought in a new arm from the bullpen and the runners were stranded on and the Naturals dropped their 15th one-run game of the season.

Northwest Arkansas will try and get back in the win column Saturday at 7:05 p.m. as Anthony Veneziano heads to the mound to face the Sod Poodles at HODGETOWN.