NATURALS OVERCOME EARLY DEFICIT AND MASH FOUR HOMERS IN 9-6 WIN OVER CARDINALS
SPRINGFIELD, MO – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals overcame an early four-run deficit and connected for a season-high four home runs and tied a season-high with 17 hits, in a 9-6 win over the Springfield Cardinals Thursday night at Hammons Field. Eight of nine Naturals in the starting lineup recorded a
SPRINGFIELD, MO – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals overcame an early four-run deficit and connected for a season-high four home runs and tied a season-high with 17 hits, in a 9-6 win over the Springfield Cardinals Thursday night at Hammons Field.
Eight of nine Naturals in the starting lineup recorded a hit, including four three-hit performances and runs driven in from six different players.
Springfield leapt out to a 4-0 lead after the second inning, but Northwest Arkansas slowly chipped away. Right fielder Seuly Matias cut the deficit in half, bringing in a run with a sacrifice fly in the third inning and a solo home run in the fifth, his fourth of the year.
After the Cardinals responded with a run in the home half of the fifth to increase their lead to 5-2, the Naturals countered with a five-run sixth inning to take the lead and they did not look back.
Brhet Bewley and Tucker Bradley connected on back-to-back solo homers to open up the sixth, the first time the Naturals have gone back-to-back this season. After Maikel Garcia walked and Robbie Glendinning reached on an error, the Naturals rattled off three straight RBI singles, from Matias, Nate Eaton and Logan Porter to cap the five-run frame.
Loftin added two more runs in the seventh inning with a two-run home run, his third long ball of the year to put the Naturals up 9-5. While Springfield scored a run in the seventh, left-hander Walter Pennington came on for the final two innings and retired all six batters he faced to earn the six-out save, his first save of the season, and preserve the 9-6 win.
Starting pitcher Dante Biasi started the night strong, striking out the side in the first inning, en route to a seven-strikeout night, tying his career high, while throwing a career-high 81 pitches.
Yefri Del Rosario earned his second win of the year, improving to 2-0 with 3.0 innings of relief, allowing a pair of runs while striking out two.
The Naturals look to win a third straight Friday night. At Hammons Field at 6:35 p.m. CT, as right-hander Alec Marsh makes his fifth start for the Naturals.