Late Rally Gives Travs Comeback Win
Published on April 19, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
North Little Rock, AR - The Arkansas Travelers staged their finest moment of the young season Thursday night at Dickey-Stephens Park. Trailing by four runs in the ninth inning the Travs rallied for five to come from behind for a 6-5 victory over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The Travs actually trailed by five runs in the first inning, but the Naturals failed to score for the rest of the game managing just four base hits in the last eight innings. Left fielder Adam Heether completed the comeback with a bases-loaded walk forcing pinch runner Angel Castillo home for the winning run.
Although the ninth inning was the most memorable part of the game, the Travs bullpen played a giant role in the victory. After Ariel Pena allowed five runs in four innings, the combination of Eddie McKiernan, Mike Piazza and Matt Oye only allowed five base runners in the remaining five innings. Both McKiernan and Piazza tossed two shutout frames allowing just one base hit. Oye (1-0) earned the win with a routine perfect ninth inning.
The game was bookended by similar rallies by each club as the Naturals sent nine batters to the plate in the first inning and scored five runs on four base hits. Those would be the same totals the Travs garnered in the ninth inning, but they got some help from a timely error.
Naturals reliever Patrick Keating started the ninth with a 5-1 lead, but Roberto Lopez opened the inning with a double followed by a walk to Ryan Mount. Keating then threw a wild pitch with Renny Osuna at bat removing the possibility of a double play on a ground ball. Osuna then hit a routine ground ball at Christian Colon, but the Naturals shortstop booted the ball allowing Lopez to come in from third base.
The Naturals tried to stymie the rally by switching in right hander Kendal Volz (2-1), but he also couldn't slow down the Travelers. Casey Haerther drove an RBI single to left field to bring the Travs within a 5-3 score. Then catcher Carlos Ramirez poked a single to right to load the bases. Matt Long's sacrifice fly to shallow center drew no throw from Yem Prades as Osuna scored to make it 5-4. Travs second baseman Darwin Perez, who hadn't reached in four tries so far, bounced a chopper past Volz. Northwest Arkansas second baseman Rey Navarro kept the ball from rolling through but couldn't get off a throw. Pinch runner Rian Kiniry scored on Perez's single to tie the game. With a base open Volz was ordered to intentionally walk Jean Segura and pitch to Heether with the bases loaded.
The Travs established season highs with six runs and 13 base hits, but also have put together back-to-back wins for the first time. Ryan Mount led the club with a 3-for-3 night adding a walk and two runs scored. Long drove in two runs which gives him seven RBI in the last five games.
Pena was rusty at the outset and walked Navarro on four pitches to start the game. A single and another walk loaded the bases for Paulo Orlando, who outran Pena to first base when Roberto Lopez left the bag uncovered ranging far off his base. Then Naturals centerfielder Yem Prades pulled a 1-2 pitch to the left field corner for a bases-clearing double. Sharlon Schoop made it 5-0 for the Naturals with a lined single to center field.
Pena did bounce back to throw three solid innings after wards, but he left the game trailing 5-0. Noel Arguelles mostly dodged the Travs during a 5.2 inning start leaving four runners and getting two double plays. The Travs managed just Long's two-out RBI double scoring Mount in the fifth inning for a run off Arguelles. Michael Mariot passed on the lead with 2.1 perfect innings but the Travs managed to put together their best inning so far to pull out the win.
Time of game was 3:02 and the paid attendance was 5,681.
The second game of the series is set for Friday night beginning at 7:10 p.m. Orangel Arenas (0-1, 4.09) takes the mound for the Travelers against Naturals lefty Justin Marks (0-0, 6.75).
Texas League Stories from April 19, 2012
- Late Rally Gives Travs Comeback Win - Arkansas Travelers
- 'Riders Blow Away Hooks, Win Ninth Game - Frisco RoughRiders
- Missions Fall To Midland 4-1 - San Antonio Missions
- Travelers Walk off on Naturals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cardinals Shutout Drillers 6-0 - Springfield Cardinals
- Drillers Drop Opener in Springfield - Tulsa Drillers
- Game Notes, April 19 Vs. Frisco - Corpus Christi Hooks
- C Julio Rodriguez Transferred; LHP Dobies to DL - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Drillers Back Home Monday - Tulsa Drillers
- Only 10 More Promo Club Memberships Left - Springfield Cardinals
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