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TL1 Arkansas Travelers

Anton & Travs Roll Over Naturals 9-3

September 3, 2009 - Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release


NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS - The Arkansas Travelers received a solid all-around effort on Thursday night in a 9-3 defeat of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Left handed pitcher Michael Anton (W, 3-8) had his finest outing to finish the season completing seven innings and holding the Naturals to one run on five base hits and two walks while adding nine strikeouts. All nine Travs starters recorded at least one base hit, with centerfielder Peter Bourjos leading with three base hits including two triples.

Anton, making his second start since being activated from the disabled list where he'd spent a month with a strained hamstring, tied his season high mark with nine punchouts and set down 10 of the last 11 Naturals batters before handing the ball to the bullpen. After losing in each of the other three games he'd appeared against the Naturals, Anton earned his first win since June 17.

The Travs 19-14 record after July is the best in the Texas League.

NWA lefty Rowdy Hardy (L, 4-4) held the Travs without a run over three innings, but didn't make it through the fifth and eventually was tagged for six runs on eight base hits in 4.1 innings.

The speed of Jarrod Dyson put the Naturals ahead as he worked his way to third base in the third inning on a leadoff walk and two stolen bases. Ed Lucas brought Dyson home with a sacrifice fly that Mark Trumbo caught in foul territory in right field.

The Travs loaded the bases against Hardy in the fourth inning getting a leadoff walk from Hank Conger, a one-out single by Ryan Mount and a two-out single from Wil Ortiz. On a full count, Jay Caligiuri grounded a two-run single through the left side giving the Travelers a 2-1 lead.

Bourjos began a fifth-inning rally that saw nine batters come to the plate with a triple past third base. Conger took another walk, then Bourjos scored when Trumbo slashed an RBI single to right field. Lucas overran the base hit allowing it to go all the way to the wall. Conger scored on the error while Trumbo advanced to third base before scoring on Mount's first-pitch single. Hardy left trailing 5-1 in favor of Jason Godin, and he allowed an RBI single by Wil Ortiz to bring Mount home for a 6-1 lead.

Godin tossed 2.2 effective innings out of the bullpen before Juan Abreu pitched the eighth. Hainley Statia doubled with one out and scored on another triple by Bourjos, a line drive to right-center, his league-leading 13th three-bagger. Conger drove in Bourjos with a hard single to right-center, then Abreu walked three batters including Ortiz with the bases-loaded to force in the Travs' ninth run.

Northwest Arkansas catcher Vance Wilson hit a two-run homer (9) off Bryan Rembisz in the ninth inning to close out the scoring.

Time of game was 2:33 and the paid attendance was 4,029.

The Travs close out the home portion of the 2009 season on Friday night hosting Northwest Arkansas at 7:10 p.m. Right hander Jeremy Thorne (0-0, 5.40) is set to make the start for the Travelers while the Naturals send right hander Blake Johnson (8-8, 4.67).

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