TL1 Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Midland Avoids Sweep, Edges Naturals

June 7, 2010 - Texas League (TL1)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


SPRINGDALE, AR - A late ninth-inning rally broke Midland's shutout but fell just short as the Naturals stranded the bases loaded in the ninth and fell to the RockHounds 2-1 Monday night at Arvest Ballpark.

The win helped Midland (26-30) avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Naturals as Northwest Arkansas entered the game seeking its first three-game sweep of Midland in the club's three year history. But it wasn't meant to be. ‘Hounds starter Travis Banwart (5-3) kept the Naturals' batters off balance for most of his six innings of work. He walked five but allowed just two hits and fanned three, and then a ninth inning rally was quashed.

An error by Naturals' first baseman Clint Robinson helped give Banwart and the RockHounds some support coming out of the gate. Alex Valdez doubled with one out and then Robinson lost the ensuing grounder from Corey Brown as it rolled through his legs. That scored Valdez for the game's first run. Jeff Baisley followed and doubled to score Brown, making it 2-0. Robinson committed a second error in the inning, a throwing error on a grounder from Josh Horton, but Naturals' starter Mario Santiago was able to strand both runners, getting Archie Gilbert swinging and coaxing Dusty Napoleon to fly out to left.

Santiago cruised along for the bulk of the rest of his outing. Midland didn't see a runner reach third base until the fifth, when the RockHounds were able to get two runners into scoring position with one out, partially aided by a fielding error by Naturals' center fielder Derrick Robinson. But Santiago got Baisley to pop out and Horton to ground out to keep the score 2-0.

Northwest Arkansas (32-23) just couldn't seem to get anything going against Banwart, however. They got two on with just one out in the first when Johnny Giavotella walked and moved to third on a single from Mike Moustakas. Both of the runners ended up stranded when Clint Robinson and Jeff Howell both popped out. Banwart walked the bases loaded in the fifth, but escaped that inning too.

The Naturals were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners on base. They finally got a run across on an RBI single from Anthony Seratelli in the ninth. Midland reliever Jared Lansford walked Paulo Orlando to lead off the frame and Tim Smith singled to move Orlando to third before Seratelli got a ball through the hole at second and into shallow right-center. Derrick Robinson sacrificed both runners into scoring position, putting the winning run at second with just one out. Johnny Giavotella drew another walk to load the bases for Moustakas, who hit some foul balls hard but eventually fanned. Then Clint Robinson, who was 2-for-4 coming into the at-bat, lined out sharply to right to end the ballgame.

That earned Lansford his sixth save on the season for Midland while Santiago (4-5), who allowed just two runs, only one of them earned, in another solid outing, got the hard luck loss.

After an off-day on Tuesday, the Naturals head out on an eight-day, nine-game road trip to North Little Rock and Tulsa that starts with a five game series with the Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Ballpark. Wednesday, the two teams will play a twi-night twinbill to make up for a rainout they endured on their previous trip to Central Arkansas. The first game will begin at 5:00 P.M. and feature right-hander Eduardo Paulino (4-3, 4.60) opposite Travelers' right-hander Tommy Mendoza, making his first start for the Travs this season. In game two, left-hander Everett Teaford (5-2, 4.89) toes the rubber for Northwest Arkansas while right-hander Taylor Wilding (1-2, 6.35) will go for North Little Rock. Coverage will be on ESPN 92.1 The Ticket.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics



Texas League Stories from June 7, 2010


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