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RockHounds Walk on Bye

May 24, 2012 - Texas League (TL) Northwest Arkansas Naturals

SPRINGDALE, AR - The Northwest Arkansas Naturals pitching staff issued ten walks as the Midland RockHounds defeated them 11-3 at Arvest Ballpark. The Naturals have now dropped five in a row, after winning six straight.

The Naturals got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning against RockHounds starter Dan Straily. Nick Van Stratten and Ryan Jenkins hit back-to-back singles to start the inning off. Yem Prades followed by bunting into a force out at third base. Yuniesky Betancourt then ripped a double down the left field line to plate both Jenkins and Prades and make it 2-0.

The RockHounds got one run back in the top of the fourth inning on a solo home run by Michael Spina. The home run for Spina was his sixth of the season, and his second in as many games. The RockHounds offense got some help from Naturals starter Justin Marks in the top os the sixth inning when he walked Michael Choice, hit Spina, and allowed a Shane Peterson single to load the bases.

The Naturals then turned to Kendal Volz with the bases loaded and one out, and he got Jeremy Barfield to ground into a force out, that scored Choice to tie the game at two. A wild pitch by Volz allowed Spina to score and gave the RockHounds a 3-2 lead. Volz then struck out Anthony Alliotti to get out of the jam.

Marks went five and a third innings allowing three runs striking out four and walking five. The Naturals loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Straily struck out pinch-hitter Johnny Whittleman looking to keep his team in front 3-2. Staily went six innings allowing six hits and two runs, walking three and striking out six. The six strikeouts give him 75 on the season, which leads the Texas League.

The RockHounds tacked on another run against Volz in the top of the seventh inning when they got a lead-off walk from Josh Horton, and singles from Tyler Ladendorf, and Choice to make it 4-2. Barfield knocked in his second run of the game with an RBI single to short to make it 5-2. Ryan Ortiz followed with a two-run single against Naturals' reliever Brendan Lafferty to push the RockHounds lead to 7-2.

The RockHounds pushed across another run in the top of the eighth as Spina drove home his second run of the night,, this time with his fourth double of the season. The Naturals came right back with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. Eric Duncan hit a one-out single and advanced to second on defensive indifference. He would later score on a Mario Lisson RBI single to cut the lead to 8-3. The RockHounds tacked on three more runs against Patrick Keating in the ninth inning, on a home run from Ladendorf to make it 11-3.

The Naturals wrap up their three game series with the RockHounds tomorrow night at 7:05 PM. The Naturals will send Elisaul Pimentel (1-2, 8.10) against the RockHounds Shawn Haviland (2-3, 5.29). The game can be heard on ESPN 92.1 The Ticket.

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Texas League Stories from May 24, 2012


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