Nivens’ Walk-off Single Gives Nats Third Straight Win
SPRINGDALE, AR – Spencer Nivens hit a walk-off single with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to give the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (14-20, 43-58) a 7-6 win over the Wichita Wind Surge (13-21, 38-63) on Tuesday night at Arvest Ballpark. The Naturals continue their six-game set against the Wind
SPRINGDALE, AR – Spencer Nivens hit a walk-off single with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to give the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (14-20, 43-58) a 7-6 win over the Wichita Wind Surge (13-21, 38-63) on Tuesday night at Arvest Ballpark. The Naturals continue their six-game set against the Wind Surge on Wednesday, with first pitch at 7:05 PM CT.
Northwest Arkansas got off to an early 2-0 lead in the opening frame on a pair of RBI groundouts. Luke Pelzer and Sam Kulasingam each singled, and Carson Roccaforte and Daniel Vázquez drove them in with ground balls. Canyon Brown crushed a solo homer in the bottom of the second to make it 3-0, Nats.
After Wichita plated two in the third, Nivens drove in Roccaforte with a double to put NWA ahead 4-2. Nivens had three hits, drew a walk and stole two bases in the contest.
Roccaforte hit a two-run homer to left in the fifth to give the Naturals a 6-2 advantage. The lefty connected on his team-leading 26th long ball and tied Kila Ka’aihue (2008) for the fourth-most homers in a single season in franchise history. Roccaforte is five home runs shy of the Naturals’ single-season record of 31 (Matt Fields, 2013).
The Wind Surge scored four in the seventh to tie the game and force extra innings. Reliever Augusto Mendieta (4-5) dealt three scoreless innings and recorded five strikeouts. The right-hander stranded two runners in scoring position in the top of the 10th.
Northwest Arkansas loaded the bases in the bottom half, and Nivens knocked in Pelzer with a walk-off single to right to win the game for the Naturals, 7-6. Nivens delivered the eighth walk-off victory of the season for NWA.
The Naturals face the Wind Surge in the second game of the six-game series on Wednesday at 7:05 PM CT. Fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs, $5 12 oz. cans of Scarlett Letter and Baseball Bingo. Fans can get their tickets at NWANaturals.com for the remainder of the series.
As always, fans can follow along through the Naturals' TV broadcast, available with a subscription to MLB.tv or the MiLB App and for free through the Bally Live Sports App. Additionally, you can listen to the radio call with the "Voice of the Naturals", Shawn Murnin, all season long on the MiLB app and NWANaturals.com.