Naturals Split Series with 9-5 Win in Finale
Published on July 18, 2015 under Texas League (TL1)
Springfield Cardinals News Release
Springfield, MO - The Northwest Arkansas Naturals battled out the series split with a 9-5 win against the Springfield Cardinals before 5,872 fans at Hammons Field on Saturday night.
With Cardinals RHP Mike Mayers (L, 1-4) making his return from the Disabled List, the Naturals (7-14, 47-44) came out swinging in the top of the first. With one away, CF Bubba Starling cracked the scoreless tie with a solo home run. Mayers responded by inducing a line out to short, but then 3B Alex Liddi worked a walk to extend the inning. DH Hunter Dozier then pulled a two-run homer to left field, extending the early advantage to 3-0.
Northwest Arkansas went right back on the attack in the top of the second. Leading off the inning, 1B Frank Schwindel knocked his first Double-A home run, a solo shot, over the left field fence. Mayers, though, worked out of the rest of the inning with no further damage being done, keeping the Naturals lead at just 4-0.
The Naturals added to the advantage in the top of the third with three unearned runs. Mayers started the inning with a strikeout, but 3B Alex Liddi reached next on a two-base error committed by 2B Matt Williams. After Dozier worked a walk, LF Lane Adams sent an RBI groundrule double bouncing over the right-center field fence, scoring Liddi and moving Dozier to third base. C Parker Morin brought both runners home with a two-run single to left field, increasing the Naturals lead to 7-0.
Naturals LHP Jonathan Dziedzic (W, 5-6) kept the Cardinals (11-11, 41-51) in check through his first two innings, but Springfield started chipping away in the bottom of the third. With one down, CF Charlie Tilson crushed a solo home run on top of the Indoor Training Facility beyond the right field fence, making it 7-1.
RHP Kurt Heyer had gotten the Cardinals out of the troublesome third inning, before posting a scoreless fourth. However, Northwest Arkansas struck for one run in the top of the fifth. Liddi led off with a double, before Heyer dug in with two consecutive outs. After a base hit from Schwindel put runners at the corners, Morin came through with an RBI single to bring in Liddi for the 8-1 Northwest Arkansas lead.
Springfield responded in part in the bottom of the sixth inning with another long-ball against Dziedzic. Leading off the inning, 2B Matt Williams, playing in his first game of the season with Springfield after being transferred from Triple-A Memphis today, swatted a solo shot to left field to chip the deficit down to 8-2.
The Cardinals continued the comeback in the bottom of the seventh against RHP J.C. Sulbaran. With two away, RF David Washington launched a solo home run to center field, his eighth of the season, bringing Springfield within five runs, 8-3.
After the Naturals added a late run in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by SS Raul Mondesi, the Cardinals attempted a late comeback in the bottom of the ninth. With two down, Washington ripped a double to left-center field to keep the game alive. LF Breyvic Valera then pulled a two-run home run to left field, bringing the Cardinals within four runs of tying it. LHP Daniel Stumpf, though, won the battle against Tilson with a game-ending groundout, and the Naturals hung on for the 9-5 win.
Texas League Stories from July 18, 2015
- Three Homers Send Hooks to Win over Riders - Frisco RoughRiders
- Naturals Split Series with 9-5 Win in Finale - Springfield Cardinals
- Dziedzic Dazzles as Naturals Win Finale, 9-5 - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Riders Survive to Secure Series - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Main Squeeze - Midland RockHounds
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