Naturals Squeak by Missions on Congo Falls Night

SAN ANTONIO (Aug. 22, 2026) — Despite out-hitting the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (20-30) 12-7, the San Antonio Missions (23-27) went 2-11with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 on base, falling just short in a 3-2 Saturday night loss while wearing Congo Falls jerseys. Ian Koenig suffered the loss, Drew Beam escaped with the win and Dennis Colleran Jr. earned the save.

The Naturals jumped ahead early when Colton Becker took Koenig deep with a solo shot. The Missions answered immediately when Tirso Ornelas singled home Braedon Karpathios, making it 1-1 after one inning.

San Antonio took the lead in the third as Romeo Sanabria rifled a ball to the right field wall. Sanabria held up at first, but Alex McCoy scored from second to give the Missions a 2-1 edge. That lead didn’t make it past the fourth as the Naturals tied it up on Connor Scott’s RBI single up the middle.

With the game at 2-2, both starters settled in. Koenig set down nine in a row while Beam danced around danger throughout the night. The Missions had two runners on in each of the fourth and sixth frames, but a ground out and strike out ended the respective threats.

Koenig returned to the mound in the seventh and recorded two outs, but a dropped pop-up double and hit-by-pitch forced him out of the game. Igor Gil took over with runners at first and third and two outs, and his first pitch in relief went to the backstop, allowing Justin Johnson to score the go-ahead run. Gil threw nine straight out of the zone, managed to strand the bases loaded, but still handed the Naturals a 3-2 lead.

When the Naturals threatened again in the eighth, Josh Mallitz took over. His first pitch flew into center field for a single, but Karpathios gunned down Scott looking to advance to third, keeping it a one-run game.

Brandon Johnson dominated the Missions in two scoreless innings as he and Mallitz, two Ole Miss Rebels who won the College World Series in 2022, went back and forth.

After a quick top of the ninth from Mallitz, Colleran Jr. took over for Northwest Arkansas. An error by second baseman Angel Acosta allowed Karpathios to reach, and Kai Roberts pinch ran for him. McCoy then went down looking on strikes before Ornelas smashed a ball 106mph off the bat to the warning track in center field, where Luke Pelzer tracked it down to secure the Naturals’ 3-2 win.

Up Next:

The Missions and Naturals conclude their six-game series tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. It's Six Flags Kid's Day at the Wolff! The first 250 kids, 48" and under, will receive a complimentary one-day pass to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Get here early for your chance to ride into the fun! Kids also run the bases after the game! Catch all the action on Country Legends KKYX, 680 AM, 104.9 FM and kkyx.com. Tickets are available at samissions.com or by calling 210-675-7275.

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The San Antonio Missions are the Double-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The Missions were established in 1888 and have brought affordable family fun to the Alamo City for more than 120 seasons. The 13-time Texas League champions play their home games at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium. For more information and tickets, call 210-675-7275 or visit samissions.com.