TL1 Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Drillers Claim Series with Win

Published on May 20, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


SPRINGDALE, Ark. -- Matt Fields went three-for-four with three singles and three RBI, but three Tulsa home runs helped the Drillers earn an 8-5 victory in the series finale Monday afternoon at Arvest Ballpark. With the win, Tulsa claims three of the four games in the series.

Tulsa took the lead in the second inning. Kent Matthes doubled to left field and scored on Angelys Nina's fourth home run of the season that barely cleared the left field fence. Northwest Arkansas responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame, with Mitch Canham scoring on a Fields single. Fields and Manny Pina scored on a Rey Navarro double to give the Naturals a 3-2 lead. Fields hit his second RBI single in the third, plating Orlando Calixte for a 4-2 Naturals lead.

A four-run fourth inning gave Tulsa a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Matthes hit a three-run home run with one out to give the Drillers a 5-4 lead, with Nina scoring on a Jose Gonzalez single to extend the lead to 6-4. Kiel Roling hit his third home run of the series in the fifth, a solo shot that gave Tulsa a 7-4 lead.

Fields' third single in the fifth scored Carlo Testa to cut the Tulsa lead to 7-5. The Naturals were limited to one hit in the final three innings, a two-out single by Navarro in the eighth. Tulsa added their final run of the game on a Nina double in the eighth.

Nina went three-four-three with two runs scored and three RBI. Roling went two-four-five with two runs scored, with Matthes going two-for-four with a double and home run.

Fields led the Naturals with three hits. Navarro and Canham each hit a single and double for the Naturals.

Dan Houston earned his first win of the season, allowing five runs on eight runs with three walks and two strikeouts in five innings. Parker Frazier, Juan Gonzalez and Steven Hensley fired four shutout innings, with Hensley firing a perfect ninth for his third save of the year.

Sugar Ray Marimon is charged with his sixth loss, allowing seven runs, six earned, with eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 5.2 innings.

After an off day tomorrow, the Naturals begin a three-game series in Corpus Christi on Wednesday. Yordano Ventura (3-1, 1.79 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Naturals. Corpus Christi hasn't announced a starter for the series opener.

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