Lopez's Second Walk-Off Homer of Series Dooms Naturals
Published on April 14, 2019 under Texas League (TL1)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Naturals will be happy not see Irving Lopez for a few days. The Springfield second baseman whacked his second walk-off home run of the series on Sunday afternoon in the last of the 10th to complete the sweep of Northwest Arkansas, an 8-6 final in 10 innings at Hammons Field. Northwest Arkansas dropped the club's seventh consecutive game and lost three of the four contest to the Cardinals in walk-off form.
Northwest Arkansas (4-7) trailed 6-3 entering the eighth inning and used three straight singles by Gabriel Cancel, Meibrys Viloria and Emmanuel Rivera to ignite the rally. Rivera's knock drove in Cancel from second to cut the Springfield lead to 6-4. Taylor Featherston and Kort Peterson followed with a pair of sacrifice flies to tie the score at 6-6 in the three-run frame.
Springfield (4-7) led for the majority of the contest. The Cardinals used a three-run home run by Conner Capel off starter, Conner Greene to grab the early 3-0 lead. Northwest Arkansas chipped away. Nick Heath delivered a two-out, two-run single in the third inning to cut the deficit to 3-2 and Cancel in the third, led the inning off with his second home run of the series.
Greene gave-up a bases-clearing double to Brian O'Keefe in the fourth inning to push the Cardinals back in front, 6-3; but settled in following the double. The 24-year old right-hander retired the final nine batters faced. Left-hander, Emilio Ogando followed suit after he entered in the sixth inning. Capel blooped an infield double, aided by the sun and wind, to start the sixth inning; but that proved to be the lone hit allowed by Ogando who combined with Greene to retired 21 of 22 batters faced from the third to the ninth innings.
Greene struck out eight hitters for the second straight start over 5.0 innings of six-run (three earned) baseball. Ogando pitched four innings of shutout relief with a pair of strikeouts and just the one hit allowed.
Moments that mattered...
In the first inning, Greene was forced to throw to two extra batters in the frame after Emmanuel Rivera committed an error to prolong the frame. Green walked the next hitter and gave-up the three-run home run to Capel.
Xavier Fernandez put together a 15-pitch plate appearance in the eighth inning, during the Naturals' three-run rally and drew a walk to re-load the bases. Peterson, the next hitter, hit a sacrifice fly the tie the score.
What's up next...
The Naturals continue the seven-game road trip with a three-game set against the Arkansas Travelers (Seattle Mariners) at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock, Ark. on Monday, April 15 with a 7:10 game. The Travelers are off to the club's best start since 2005 with an 8-2 record.
Right-hander, Jace Vines (1-0, 1.00 ERA) takes the mound tomorrow for the Naturals in his third start of the season and second straight start against Arkansas. Right-hander, Justin Dunn (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will counter for the Travelers.
Join, Benjamin Kelly, on 92.1-FM, the Ticket and across the Naturals' Radio Network for a 6:50 Indigo Sky Casino Pregame Show leading up to the 7:10 ballgame.
Springfield Cardinals (4-7) 8, Northwest Arkansas Naturals (4-7) 6
April 14, 2019
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
NW Arkansas 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 6 11 1
Springfield 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 6 1
One out when winning run scored.
NW Arkansas AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO PO A
Heath, CF .214 5 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0
Miller, RF .364 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
Cancel, 2B .293 5 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 3 1 0
Viloria, DH .194 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0
Rivera, E, 3B .273 5 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 4
Fernández, X, C .188 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 11 0
Featherston, SS .421 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 3
Peterson, LF .185 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 2 0
Jones, T, 1B .208 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 8 1
Greene, P .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
Ogando, P .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Gavin, P .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals .269 37 6 11 0 0 1 6 4 13 28 10
BATTING
HR: Cancel (2, 3rd inning off Shew, 0 on, 0 out).
TB: Cancel 5; Featherston; Heath 2; Miller; Peterson; Rivera, E 3; Viloria.
RBI: Cancel (9); Featherston (9); Heath 2 (4); Peterson (7); Rivera, E (4).
2-out RBI: Heath 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Miller; Viloria 2; Jones, T; Peterson; Rivera, E.
SF: Featherston; Peterson.
GIDP: Fernández, X.
Team RISP: 3-for-16.
Team LOB: 9.
BASERUNNING
SB: Miller (3, 2nd base off Shew/Godoy); Peterson (1, 2nd base off Jones/Godoy); Heath (8, 2nd base off Shew/Godoy).
CS: Featherston (1, 2nd base by Shew/Godoy).
FIELDING
E: Rivera, E (3, fielding).
Springfield AVG AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO PO A
Lopez, I, 2B .265 5 2 2 0 0 1 2 0 1 4 3
Carlson, CF .310 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
Mendoza, E, 1B .259 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
O'Keefe, DH .200 3 1 1 1 0 0 3 1 1 0 0
Capel, LF .333 4 1 2 1 0 1 3 0 1 3 0
Montero, E, 3B .209 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2
Godoy, C .217 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 13 2
Hurst, RF .105 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
Triunfel, A, SS .222 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3
Shew, P .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Gregerson, P .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Jones, P .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Latcham, P .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Gonzalez, Me, P .000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals .229 35 8 6 2 0 2 8 2 10 30 10
BATTING
2B: Capel (3, Ogando); O'Keefe (2, Greene).
HR: Capel (1, 1st inning off Greene, 2 on, 2 out); Lopez, I (3, 10th inning off Gavin, 1 on, 1 out).
TB: Capel 6; Lopez, I 5; Mendoza, E; O'Keefe 2.
RBI: Capel 3 (7); Lopez, I 2 (6); O'Keefe 3 (8).
2-out RBI: Capel 3.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Hurst; Godoy.
Team RISP: 4-for-11.
Team LOB: 2.
BASERUNNING
SB: Mendoza, E (2, 2nd base off Greene/Fernández, X).
FIELDING
E: Gonzalez, Me (1, pickoff).
DP: (Montero, E-Lopez, I-Mendoza, E).
NW Arkansas ERA IP H R ER BB SO HR BF
Greene 2.12 5.0 4 6 3 2 8 1 22
Ogando 5.00 4.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 13
Gavin (L, 2-1) 4.91 0.1 1 2 1 0 0 1 2
Totals 3.93 9.1 6 8 4 2 10 2 37
Springfield ERA IP H R ER BB SO HR BF
Shew 3.00 5.0 6 3 3 2 6 1 22
Gregerson (H, 1) 0.00 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3
Jones (H, 2) 5.06 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 4
Latcham (H, 1) 12.71 0.1 3 3 3 1 0 0 5
Gonzalez, Me (W, 1-1)(BS, 3) 9.64 2.2 1 0 0 1 4 0 10
Totals 6.47 10.0 11 6 6 4 13 1 44
WP: Shew.
HBP: Featherston (by Shew).
Pitches-strikes: Greene 87-61; Ogando 42-29; Gavin 8-5; Shew 96-57; Gregerson 16-9; Jones 19-11; Latcham 28-18; Gonzalez, Me 46-25.
Groundouts-flyouts: Greene 6-1; Ogando 4-2; Gavin 1-0; Shew 4-1; Gregerson 1-0; Jones 1-0; Latcham 0-1; Gonzalez, Me 1-3.
Batters faced: Greene 22; Ogando 13; Gavin 2; Shew 22; Gregerson 3; Jones 4; Latcham 5; Gonzalez, Me 10.
Inherited runners-scored: Gonzalez, Me 2-1.
Umpires: HP: Tyler Olson. 1B: Mike Carroll. 3B: Jeff Gorman.
Weather: 50 degrees, Sunny.
Wind: 12 mph, L To R.
First pitch: 2:12 PM.
T: 3:21.
Att: 2,875.
Venue: Hammons Field.
Texas League Stories from April 14, 2019
- Cardinals Sweep Naturals Behind 3rd Walk-Off in 4 Days - Springfield Cardinals
- Hooks Smash Skid - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Travs Get No-Hit by Tulsa; Win Anyway - Arkansas Travelers
- Naile, Barrera Lead Hounds to Victory - Midland RockHounds
- Lopez's Second Walk-Off Homer of Series Dooms Naturals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Drillers Combine for No-Hitter, Lose in Extras - Tulsa Drillers
- Sod Poodles Fall 13-5 to Hooks in Series Finale Sunday Afternoon - Amarillo Sod Poodles
- Win Streak Snapped at Six Sunday Afternoon - Frisco RoughRiders
- Sod Poodles Clinch Series - Corpus Christi Hooks
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
