Johnson, Roccaforte Homers Lift Nats to 8-7 Win Saturday

TULSA, OKLAHOMA -- Carson Roccaforte and Justin Johnson each homered in the Northwest Arkansas Naturals' (41-58) 8-7 victory over the Tulsa Drillers (64-36) at ONEOK Field in Tulsa, OK, snapping an eight-game losing streak in the process. The two teams continue their series Sunday with a 12:00 PM CT first pitch.

Northwest Arkansas' offense got off to a hot start, scoring in each of the first three frames to open the game. Spencer Nivens grounded into a force out with Luke Pelzer coming home to score and make it a 1-0 game. Tulsa got a pair of homers in the bottom of the frame to take the lead, but it was a brief advantage.

Johnson tied the game in the top of the second, blasting his fourth home run of the season to left-center field with Connor Scott, who had three hits on the night, coming around to score, making it a 3-2 Nats lead.

Carson Roccaforte followed suit with his 24th big fly of the season, a two-run shot that made it 5-2. Scott drove in another run with a single to extend the NWA lead, and Omar Hernandez scored on a balk later in the frame to make it 7-2.

Canyon Brown plated the Naturals final run of the night in the fifth, singling to center field to drive in Daniel Vazquez.

Tulsa got a run closer with another homer in the eighth, and made a charge at the lead in the ninth. The Drillers scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth, but Dennis Colleran Jr. got the final out of the game.

Colleran Jr. earned his third save of the year while Hunter Patteson (6-4) earned the win after 5.0 innings where he held the Drillers to two runs on four hits.