NATURALS FALL TO DRILLERS AND SETTLE FOR SERIES SPLIT

SPRINGDALE, AR – Despite scoring first, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals could not hold onto the lead Sunday afternoon, as the Tulsa Drillers scored four times in the fifth and maintained a lead the rest of the afternoon, as the Naturals settled for a series split with a 6-3 loss to. the Drillers.

Starting pitcher Alec Marsh struck out the side in the first and retired the first seven hitters he faced and managed to pitch 4.0 scoreless innings before entering trouble in the fifth inning. In the top of the fifth, Tulsa connected on two home runs and sent all nine batters to the plate, to charge ahead of the Naturals.

Northwest Arkansas took advantage of a pair of defensive miscues in the third inning, as Tucker Bradley reached on a Tulsa fielding error that scored Jake Means, then he moved to third and Maikel Garcia scored on a Drillers throwing error, the only runs the Naturals could muster off of starter Bobby Miller.

Zack Phillips pitched a scoreless sixth inning behind Marsh, then after single runs scored in the seventh and eighth innings for the Drillers, Nathan Webb pitched a scoreless ninth to keep Tulsa at bay.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, four walks loaded the bases and gave the Naturals a run, as Tyler Gentry drew a bases loaded walk with just one out. However, Northwest Arkansas left the bases loaded, leaving the tying run on first base and the go-ahead run at the plate.

The ninth inning panned out similar, as a Seuly Matias double, Jake Means single and Ryan Grotjohn walk loaded the bases with just one out, but the tying run was left on first base and the winning run at the plate as the Naturals were retired on the next two pitches to end the ballgame.

After a day off Monday, the Naturals are back in action Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. CT to begin a six-game series at Whataburger Field against the Corpus Christi Hooks.