MASSEY SLAMS NATURALS TO VICTORY IN SERIES OPENER AT MIDLAND
MIDLAND, TX – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals rallied for five runs with two outs in the seventh inning, capped by a Michael Massey grand slam, as the team won its third straight game, an 8-5 win to open the week against the Midland RockHounds. Massey led the charge offensively, going
MIDLAND, TX – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals rallied for five runs with two outs in the seventh inning, capped by a Michael Massey grand slam, as the team won its third straight game, an 8-5 win to open the week against the Midland RockHounds.
Massey led the charge offensively, going 3-for-5 in the win with two runs scored and four driven in. All nine Naturals hitters reached base at least once, with seven contributing hits.
The Northwest Arkansas second baseman singled with two outs in the first inning, then came around to score moments later on a home run from designated hitter Robbie Glendinning, a two-run shot to the opposite field that just hooked around the right field pole.
Glendinning’s sixth homer of the year gave the Naturals a brief 2-0 lead, but the RockHounds struck Naturals starter Angel Zerpa two runs in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 2-2.
Zerpa struck out a season-high 7 across 5.0 innings of work, allowing a third run in the fifth inning, at the time giving Midland a 3-2 lead.
Down by a run entering the seventh inning, the Naturals recorded two quick outs before cobbling together a two-out rally. Jake Means doubled, then scored on a John Rave single to tie the game at 3-3. After Maikel Garcia walked, the RockHounds went to the bullpen. The new reliever walked Nick Loftin to load the bases, then Massey drilled his eighth home run of the season out to right-center, the Naturals’ fourth grand slam of the season, breaking the tie and putting the Naturals up 7-3.
Midland struck reliever Yefri Del Rosario for a run in the seventh, but the Naturals took it back in the eighth, as Rave drew a bases-loaded walk to score the team’s eighth and final run of the game.
While the RockHounds added one more in the eighth off Andres Sotillet, Zach Willeman pitched a scoreless ninth inning and earned his first save of the year to shut the door on the Naturals’ third straight win.
Northwest Arkansas will look to move back to .500 Wednesday evening, as right-hander Alec Marsh starts at 6:30 p.m. CT against Midland from Momentum Bank Ballpark.