PASQUANTINO HOMERS IN 5-3 LOSS TO CARDINALS
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino tied the game with a home run in the fourth inning, but the Naturals could not push ahead of the Springfield Cardinals, falling 5-3 on Wednesday night. Pasquantino (MLB Pipeline’s No. 19 Royals’ prospect) went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino tied the game with a home run in the fourth inning, but the Naturals could not push ahead of the Springfield Cardinals, falling 5-3 on Wednesday night.
Pasquantino (MLB Pipeline’s No. 19 Royals’ prospect) went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double in addition to his home run. Between High-A and Double-A, he is now tied for the most doubles (33) and extra-base hits (55) in all of Minor League baseball. He also has 12 multi-hit games in just 33 games with the Naturals, including three straight and five of his last 10.
Springfield scored in the first off of Naturals starter Jonathan Healsey (MLB Pipeline’s No. 15 Royals’ prospect), who settled down and through four innings, struck out eight while only allowing just that one run.
While relievers Robert Garcia and Andrés Sotillet each allowed two runs in the sixth and seventh innings respectively, the bats battled to keep Northwest Arkansas in the game.
The Naturals added a run in the seventh on a single from Brewer Hicklen and Cardinals error, then another run scored in the eighth on Pasquantino’s double, as Kevin Merrell came around on another Springfield error.
Daniel Tillo pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Jose Cuas fired a 1-2-3 ninth on just eight pitches to keep the deficit at just two and while the Naturals put the tying run on and brought the winning run to the plate, could not push across any further offense and fell, 5-3.
Northwest Arkansas (50-47) will try and get back the series lead against Springfield (36-62) on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. with Drew Parrish headed to the mound for the Naturals.