RECORD-TYING SEVEN HOME RUNS POWER NATURALS TO 12-2 WIN OVER MISSIONS

Bobby Witt, Jr. hit three home runs in the big win over San Antonio

Bobby Witt, Jr. hit three home runs as the Naturals tied a franchise-record with seven homers on the night. (Tim Campbell)

By Naturals PR Department

May 31, 2021

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals mashed seven home runs Sunday night in a 12-2 win over the San Antonio Missions, including three from top Royals prospect Bobby Witt Jr. (MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 prospect in baseball). Seven homers by the team in a single game ties a record set in Springfield

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals mashed seven home runs Sunday night in a 12-2 win over the San Antonio Missions, including three from top Royals prospect Bobby Witt Jr. (MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 prospect in baseball).

Seven homers by the team in a single game ties a record set in Springfield against the Cardinals on July 23, 2013. Witt’s three-homer night was the fifth all-time for a Naturals hitter and second of the season for the Naturals, the last coming on May 23 in Springfield from Nick Pratto.

Witt hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to begin the third inning with fellow top-15 Royals prospects Nick Pratto (MLB Pipeline’s No. 9 Royals’ prospect) and MJ Melendez (MLB Pipeline’s No. 1143 Royals’ prospect).

Later in the third, Brhet Bewley hit his first homer of the season and in the eighth, Rudy Martin left the yard for the second time in 2021, a three-run shot that gave him five runs batted in on the evening. Martin also doubled home two runs in the second.

After his solo shot to lead off the third, Witt Jr. sent another over the left field fence in the fourth and then went yard again in the eighth, hitting it to dead center field for the team’s record-tying seventh of the game.

Melendez had himself a strong night as well. Beyond his seventh home run of the season, the catcher went 4-5 with two singles and a double, falling a triple shy of the cycle.

Bewley also had a two-RBI night, doubling in a run and scoring in a three-run second inning.

On the mound, Austin Cox (MLB Pipeline’s No. 10 Royals’ prospect) made his 2021 debut, pitching 4.0 innings of one-run baseball, while surrendering just one hit and striking out three.

Yefri Del Rosario (MLB Pipeline’s No. 30 Royals’ prospect) earned his first win of the season, with 2.1 innings of one-run baseball as well out of the bullpen, striking out three after Cox.

Carlos Sanabria and Josh Dye combined at the end of the night for 2.2 scoreless frames, with Dye striking out two in the ninth.

Back to a .500 record at 11-11, the Naturals rest with a day off on Memorial Day before returning to action Tuesday at 7:05 PM against the first-place Tulsa Drillers to begin a six-game series at Arvest Ballpark.