The Great Balbino: Fuenmayor blasts two

North Little Rock, AR - Three Northwest Arkansas home runs launched the Naturals to a 5-3 win over the Arkansas Travelers on Monday night at Dickey-Stephens Park.

1B Balbino Fuenmayor hit the first of his two home runs in the game in the first inning. With DH Mike Bianucci on first and two outs, Fuenmayor hit a towering fly ball to left that cleared the fence.

RF Jorge Bonifacio blasted his sixth long ball of the season in the third inning to increase the Naturals' lead to 3-0, and Fuenmayor tattooed his second of the game onto Willow Street to make it 4-0 in the sixth.

Meanwhile, RHP Miguel Almonte (W, 3-1) was virtually untouchable over five innings for Northwest Arkansas. Almonte tossed five shutout innings and allowed only two hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

Trailing 4-0 in the eighth, Arkansas fought back. The Travs loaded the bases with two outs against RHP Ali Williams who was then pulled for RHP Malcom Culver (S, 2). Culver walked 3B Brian Hernandez to make it 4-1 and 1B Wade Hinkle lined a two-run double to left-center to get Arkansas within one run.

Northwest Arkansas plated an insurance run in the ninth, and despite having three cracks with the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, the Travelers were held off the board.

Arkansas starter LHP Nate Smith (L, 3-3) allowed four runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts over six innings.

LHP Chris O'Grady pitched a scoreless seventh and RHP Danny Reynolds allowed the run in the ninth with four strikeouts over the last two frames.

RF Cal Towey reached base three times with three walks.

No Travs player had more than one hit, and Arkansas had only three at-bats with a runner in scoring position (1-for-3).

CF Kentrail Davis was ejected after striking out in eighth inning, and C Anthony Bemboom replaced Davis in left field (pushing D'Arby Myers to center). The inning played by Bemboom in the outfield was the first in his professional career. Bemboom caught at Creighton University and occasionally played outfield.

With the loss, the Travs fall to 18-12 on the season, 1.5 games behind the Naturals. The two teams will conclude the four-game series on Tuesday with an 11:00 a.m. Kids Day start.