Naturals deny RoughRiders for Friday win

FRISCO, Texas (September 8, 2023) – The Frisco RoughRiders came back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game but never took a lead on Friday, falling 6-3 to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Riders Field.

Box Score

Frisco (30-31, 61-67) falls to seven games back of Amarillo with eight games remaining in the hunt for a playoff berth. Northwest Arkansas (30-30, 58-60) has won three of four games this week.

Frisco's starter, Ryan Garcia, lasted five innings. He allowed three runs, two earned, all in the third inning. Garcia gave up just three hits and struck out eight in a no-decision.

Down 3-0 in the fourth inning, Frisco put a pair of tallies on the board including Wyatt Langford's first Double-A run. Langford had walked to lead off the inning and advanced on Liam Hicks' single and Aaron Zavala's walk. Langford scored on a wild pitch, followed by Frainyer Chavez's RBI groundout.

Langford went 0-for-2 on Friday with a pair of walks in his fourth Double-A game. The 2023 fourth-overall selection has two hits this week including a double, an RBI and four walks.

The Riders tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning, beginning with Jax Biggers' bunt single. He scored after three straight walks, with Kellen Strahm earning the RBI base on balls.

The Naturals broke the tie in the eighth, scoring one run and saddling Triston Polley (2-3) with the loss. The Naturals added two unearned runs in the ninth to take a 6-3 lead.

Frisco's bullpen allowed one earned run on Friday and has given up just three earned runs this week in 19 innings.

TJ Sikkema (4-4) earned the win for Northwest Arkansas, pitching one inning without a hit. Jacob Wallace took the save by pitching a clean ninth inning.

The Riders play the fifth game of the six-game series at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9th at Riders Field. RHP Nick Krauth (4-10, 5.80 ERA) gets the ball for Frisco, while the Naturals turn to RHP Beck Way (2-8, 6.59 ERA).

Not only can kids run the bases postgame, presented by Raising Cane’s, but the Riders will host the second drone show on three-straight nights. Saturday is also the final Copa night of the year, as the RoughRiders suit up as Quesos De Frisco. Celebrate Dia De Los Quesos by getting a Sugar Skull giveaway at the gate. Before the game, Summer House’s Kyle Cook will be in the ballpark and fans 21 and up can grab a Loverboy VIP Pool Party ticket for just $50. Get your tickets now at RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.

About the RoughRiders

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the 2022 Texas League champions. In 2023, the team is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has consistently finished in the top five among all Double-A franchises in attendance yearly. In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, Bullpen Bar, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 190 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball including current Rangers Josh Jung, Grant Anderson and Martin Perez. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].