TL Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Naturals Score 17 Unanswered Runs in Historic 19-4 Win over Springfield

Published on June 30, 2021 under Texas League (TL)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


The Northwest Arkansas Naturals trailed the Springfield Cardinals by two runs after five innings, but rallied to score 17 unanswered runs over the next three innings to open their week-long series in Springfield with a 19-4 win, tying for the largest margin of victory in club history.

The 4 hour, 7 minute game was the longest 9-inning game in franchise history, also tying for the largest margin of victory. The last time the Naturals outscored their opponent by 15 runs was on May 22, 2010 in a 19-4 win over the Arkansas Travelers at home.

The Naturals scored two runs on four hits in the top of the third, but the Cardinals responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and one in the fifth to take what was at the time a 4-2 lead.

Northwest Arkansas responded by scoring six runs in the sixth inning, seven runs in the seventh and four runs in the eighth to take a 15-run lead.

The Naturals batted around in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, sending 11, 12 and 10 batters to the plate respectively in those innings.

Across the lineup, 10 different players recorded hits, including five multi-hit efforts, three of them being three-hit performances. Nine players scored at least one run, while seven players scored at least twice and eight players drove in a run, while four drove in at least two.

Clay Dungan finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three driven in, while Bobby Witt Jr. (MLB Pipeline's No. 7 prospect in baseball) went 3-for-6, also with two runs scored and three driven in.

Brewer Hicklen (MLB Pipeline's No. 24 Royals' prospect) entered the game in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter and finished the night 3-for-5 with two scored and two driven in.

MJ Melendez (MLB Pipeline's No. 13 Royals' prospect) and Freddy Fermin also put together two-hit nights, with Melendez scoring three runs and also drawing three walks. Rudy Martin also drew three walks and scored three times.

Travis Jones drew a season-high four walks, becoming just the 6th Natural to do so, the last being John Whittleman on April 17, 2012 in a 9-8 win at home over the San Antonio Missions.

Across the lineup, the Naturals drew 13 walks, the second-most in a game this season, also tied for the second-most ever drawn in a single game. The team was hit by six pitches collectively, including Dairon Blanco three times.

Six is the most times the Naturals as a team have been hit by a pitch in one game, breaking the previous record of four, which was set twice, most recently on August 23, 2017 in a 5-1 win at home over Springfield.

Blanco also drove in three runs and scored three times, becoming just the second Natural to be hit by a pitch three times in one game, the first being Nick Dini on May 16, 2018 in a 5-4 win at home over the Arkansas Travelers.

While Northwest Arkansas scored 19 runs on 18 hits, there were only five extra-base hits, all being doubles. The Naturals did not hit a home run to produce any of the nearly 20 runs.

Drew Parrish made his fifth start of the year for the Naturals, not walking a batter while striking out seven across 4.2 innings. He allowed four runs on six hits and was relieved in the fifth inning, being awarded a no-decision.

Robert Garcia earned his second win of the year, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Dylan Coleman pitched the final two innings of the game, not allowing a hit while striking out the last four batters he faced, including the side in the ninth for a 1-2-3 inning to end the game.

62 plate appearances as a team is the most the Naturals have ever recorded in a nine-inning game, beating the previous high of 54 set on July 22, 2010 in a 19-2 win over the Travelers in North Little Rock.

In general it is tied for the third-most plate appearances for the Naturals in a single game, the record being 83, which was set on May 11, 2013 in a 5-4, 20-inning win over Springfield at Hammons Field.

The Naturals averaged 6.89 plate appearances per inning, the most since they averaged 6.67 in a six-and-a-half inning game against the Travelers on August 31, 2012, a 9-2 win for the Naturals.

Northwest Arkansas looks to carry the momentum from the historic and mammoth win into Wednesday, where they'll play a doubleheader with the Cardinals to make up a postponed game from the last trip the Naturals made to Springfield in May. The first game begins at 5:05 p.m. at Hammons Field.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics

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Texas League Stories from June 30, 2021


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