Naturals Rally to Complete Sweep of RockHounds
SPRINGDALE, Ark.- The Northwest Arkansas Naturals used a five-run eighth inning to earn 7-3 victory over the Midland RockHounds on Friday. With the win, the Naturals complete a three-game sweep of the RockHounds, their first of the 2013 season.
Trailing by a run with the bases loaded and nobody out, Rey Navarro singled to center field to bring home Brian Fletcher for the tying run. Manny Pina followed Navarro with a grounder to RockHound pitcher Mike DeMark, who tagged Pina as Yem Prades raced home for the go-ahead run. Whit Merrifield gave the Naturals a bit of insurance with a three-run double to right field, giving the Naturals a 7-3 lead with three outs remaining.
After being no-hit by Brooks Pounders the night before, the RockHounds got a hit on the first pitch of the game as Connor Crumbliss homered to right field off of Andy Ferguson to give Midland a 1-0 lead.
The Naturals took a 2-1 lead on Matt Fields' team-leading 20th home run of the season. Brian Fletcher reached on a two-out walk before Fields tattooed Sean Murphy's payoff pitch, as the longball cleared the scoreboard in right-center field. Fields was the winner of Tuesday night's Texas League Home Run Derby held at Arvest Ballpark.
Midland tied the game in the second inning as Chad Oberacker led off with a double, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on a Beau Taylor sacrifice fly to left field.
With two outs in the seventh inning and Tyler Ladendorf on second base after a one-out double, Crumbliss smacked Noel Arguelles' 2-2 pitch to left field for his 14th double of the year, bringing home Ladendorf to give the RockHounds a 3-2 lead.
Zach Jackson picks up his first win of the season for the Naturals. Jackson allowed one hit in 1.2 scoreless innings. Ferguson allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in six innings in his fifth start of the season. Arguelles allowed one run on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 1.1. innings.
Mike DeMark takes his second loss of the season. DeMark allowed five runs on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts in 1.1. innings. Sean Murphy allowed two runs on four hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in six innings.
The Naturals welcome the Frisco RoughRiders to town for the first of a three-game series tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Jason Adam (3-8, 3.53 ERA) will start for the Naturals. Frisco is scheduled to send Texas League All-Star starter Neil Ramirez (9-2, 2.89 ERA) to the mound.