VENEZIANO THROWS EIGHTH QUALITY START OF SEASON, BUT NATURALS SHUT OUT BY WICHITA

WICHITA, KS – Northwest Arkansas Naturals starting pitcher Anthony Veneziano threw his team-best eighth quality start of the season Sunday at Riverfront Stadium, however a fifth-inning home run for the Wichita Wind Surge was enough, in a 1-0 loss for the Naturals.

Veneziano began the afternoon with four shutout innings and extended his scoreless streak to 10.0 innings, after throwing 6.0 scoreless on Tuesday.

Wind Surge first baseman Seth Gray opened the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run, the only run either team could manage in the game. Veneziano rebounded to keep it at just one run over the next two innings and finished the night with six strikeouts, his eighth quality start of the year with six one-run innings. It’s his second this week and third straight in Wichita.

Charlie Neuweiler made his Double-A debut with a scoreless seventh inning, as the right-hander worked out of trouble after loading the bases. Christian Chamberlain also worked out of a bases-loaded jam, as he pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Northwest Arkansas only managed one hit in the first seven innings, a two-out single in the first for first baseman C.J. Alexander against Wichita starter Cody Lawyerson. Alexander reached on an error in the seventh to snap a stretch of 17 straight retired but was quickly erased on a double play.

The Naturals put two runners in scoring position with one out in the eighth but could not score, then loaded the bases with one out in the ninth but could not get the tying or go-ahead run across, the second shutout loss this series against the Wind Surge.

Alexander added another hit in the ninth inning, the only Natural that reached base twice in the game.

The season concludes next week at Arvest Ballpark, as the Naturals return home for six games against the Frisco RoughRiders, beginning at 7:05 p.m. CT on Tuesday.