Three-Run Seventh Lifts Travs Over Hounds

Arkansas Travelers 5, RockHounds 2
Wednesday, July 17, 2019                                                                
Dickey-Stephens Park                                                                             North Little Rock, Arkansas         
                                        
Arkansas leadoff hitter Donnie Walton saw 16 pitches Wednesday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. He doubled (and later scored) on the first. He won the game on # 16.
With two on and two out in the seventh inning, Walton ripped Brian Howard's 2-2 pitch over the right field bullpen fence, a three-run home run that broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Travelers a 5-2 in the second of a three-game series.
Walton jumped on the first pitch in the home half of the first inning for a double to left-center and Evan White took Howard's second pitch of the game to the base of the left field wall for an RBI two-bagger. White later scored on a wild pitch and a ground out.
Howard settled in and did not allow another run until Walton's heroics in the seventh, giving the RockHounds a chance to break through against right-hander Logan Gilbert. It took a while. The Mariners' prospect, making his Double-A debut, was outstanding. He retired the first 12 batters he faced before hitting two batters and walking one to load the bases with no outs in the fifth. Even then he escaped, getting the next three batters on a foul-out, a strikeout and a fly ball.
Chase Calabuig broke up the no-hit bid in the sixth with a double to right-center and Taylor Motter followed with a walk. He was on the move on Gilbert's 0-1 pitch and Tyler Ramirez ripped a two-run, game-tying double down the right field line.
Matt Tenuta, in relief of Gilbert, retired seven of the eight batters he faced to earn the win. After Motter doubled with one out in the eighth (and Ramirez lined out to second), Wyatt Mills entered the game and retired four straight batters for the save.
Texas League South Division
The Springfield Cardinals, who entered Wednesday's play 12-35 on the road, defeated the Sod Poodles, 5-2, at Amarillo. The Hooks shut out Northwest Arkansas, 5-0, at Corpus Christi … and Frisco dropped a 7-6 decision to the Drillers at Tulsa.
The RockHounds and Sod Poodles are both 14-12, leading the Corpus Christi Hooks (12-14) by two games and the Frisco RoughRiders (9-16) by 4½.
Notable
In his game-winning at-bat, Donnie Walton took a page out of the RockHounds' book from Tuesday's series opener. In that game, the 'Hounds reached base four times in their game-winning rally in the ninth inning after falling behind, 0-2 (with 13, two-strike foul balls). Brian Howard got ahead of Walton, 0-2, in the seventh Wednesday night. Walton fouled off four, two-strike deliveries before taking the 2-2 pitch, the ninth of the at-bat, out to right.
Chase Calabuig has hit in nine consecutive games (12-34, .353) with eight runs, five doubles, a home run and eight RBI.
Outfielder Mickey McDonald has been assigned to the RockHounds from (advanced-A) Stockton. In 66 games with the (California League) Ports, he hit .229 (0 HR, 20 RBI) hit in eight consecutive games (11-30, .367) with six doubles, four triples, 29 walks, 66 strikeouts, and 12 stolen bases in 18 attempts. Mickey was selected by Oakland in the 18^th round of the 2017 draft out of the University of Illinois-Chicago. He was with the RockHounds (very) briefly last season, spending three days on the roster (August 5-7) but did not see any game action.
Next Game
Thursday, July 18       vs. Arkansas Travelers
Dickey-Stephens Park            North Little Rock, Arkansas   
First pitch 7:10 p.m.   
- Final of a three-game series and of a seven-game road trip
- Radio: NewsTalk 550 with Bob Hards ... airtime 7:00 p.m.
Probable Starters                                                          
ARK:                   Justin Dunn           (RH,    5-3, 3.76)
RH: Grant Holmes (RH, 4-2, 3.43)