Cardinals swing past Naturals, 9-5

Springfield, MO - The Springfield Cardinals racked up 15 hits en route to the 9-5 win against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, before 4,385 fans at Arvest Ballpark on Wednesday afternoon.

Springfield (31-32) swung in front early with three runs in the top of the third against RHP Jason Adam (L, 1-8). With one away, CF James Ramsey reached on an error, before DH Ruben Gotay got on with a base hit. Adam then misfired a pickoff attempt past second base that allowed both runners to advance to second and third. RF Chris Swauger brought home Ramsey with an RBI ground out to second, getting the Cardinals on the board. After 1B Xavier Scruggs worked a walk, he stole his way to second base to put both runners in scoring position. SS Jake Lemmerman brought both in with a two-run base hit to center field, stretching the lead to 3-0.

The Cardinals kept swinging away in the top of the fourth. With LF Mike O'Neill on at first base and two down, Ramsey launched a two-run home run to right-center field, putting Springfield up, 5-0.

After LHP Anthony Ferrara (W, 5-3) kept the Naturals (20-43) off the board through his first three innings, Northwest Arkansas struck for two runs in the bottom of the fourth. After a pair of walks around a fly out, 3B Rey Navarro struck for an RBI double. With runners at second and third after the double, 2B Angel Franco bounced an RBI ground out to bring the Naturals within three runs, 5-2.

Ferrara kept the three-run advantage intact through the remainder of his five innings, and the Cardinals stretched the lead in the seventh and eighth. With two down in the seventh, Lemmerman worked a walk to extend the inning for C Cody Stanley, who crushed an RBI double to right-center to make it 6-2. Then, with one down in the eighth, O'Neill belted a solo bomb over the right field wall, stretching it back to a five-run lead, 7-2.

After Northwest Arkansas again chipped the deficit down with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth, the Cardinals iced it with two more in the top of the ninth. Base hits by Swauger and Scruggs started the inning, before an RBI double by Lemmerman. After a fielder's choice put runners at the corners, SS Vance Albitz brought Scruggs home with an RBI grounder to account for the eventual final score of 9-5 in the Cardinals win.

Click here for the complete box score from Wednesday's game.

In celebration of the life and career of the greatest Cardinal of them all, Stan Musial, the Springfield Cardinals will be wearing the newly-unveiled Stan Musial Tribute Jerseys during the game against the Tulsa Drillers on Sunday, June 16. The cream-colored jerseys are exact replicas of the St. Louis Cardinals uniforms from 1941, the year that Stan "The Man" played in Springfield before making his St. Louis debut later in the season on Sept. 17.  

Every Springfield Cardinal will not only don the tribute jerseys, but the entire team will also wear #6, marking the first time in 50 years that a Cardinal has worn the revered number. During the game, the jerseys will be auctioned off to benefit the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri.

The Sunday, June 16 Father's Day Game also features the Rawlings Allen Craig Bat Giveaway, with 1,250 kids, 15-and-younger, with a paid admission receiving a replica bat of one of the most clutch hitters in baseball! First Pitch is 6:09pm, gates open at 5:09pm.

For information about becoming a Season Ticket Holder, organizing a Group Outing, booking a Cake Pop Company Birthday Party or ordering Individual Game Tickets right now, call the Front Office at (417) 863-2143 or visit SpringfieldCardinals.com.

Escape to Cardinals Baseball!