TL Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Naturals Suffer Friday Night Heartbreaker in 10 Innings

Published on April 29, 2023 under Texas League (TL)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


Jorge Bonifacio had three RBI while he and Dillan Shrum homered in a tight, 10-inning contest between the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (8-11) and the San Antonio Missions (10-8) on Friday night at Nelson Wolff Stadium in San Antonio, Texas. The Missions walked off the Naturals in the 10th inning, with the Naturals dropping their third straight. The series continues on Saturday with a 7:05 PM CT first pitch.

Alec Marsh *entered into an early pitcher's duel with Mission's starter *Brian Gonzalez, keeping the game scoreless until the third. Bonifacio gave NWA a 2-0 lead with his fifth home run of the season, driving in Tyler Tolbert.

The game stayed that way until the fourth when San Antonio finally got to Marsh, scoring three runs to take the lead.

Shrum hit his first home run of the season to lead off the fifth, tying the game at 3-3 until Daniel Johnson singled home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the frame.

Tolbert laid down a sacrifice bunt in the top of the seventh to tie the game again, plating Jimmy Govern to make it 4-4. The game went to extra innings and NWA took the lead in the top of the 10th when Bonifacio lifted a sacrifice fly to left, bringing in Tolbert from third to give Northwest Arkansas a 5-4 edge.

In the bottom of the frame, though, Brantley Bell reached on an error and he and Johnson scored on *Michael De La Cruz's *double to center, affording the Missions a 6-5 walk-off win.

The loss was the Naturals' third straight and guaranteed the Missions at least a series split. Bonifacio ended the night with three RBI, while Govern and Tolbert each extended their hit streaks to eight games. Jacob Wallace (0-2) took the loss, with two unearned runs coming around to score off one hit. Wallace still has not allowed an earned run this season.

The Missions and Naturals play the penultimate game of the series on Saturday with a 7:05 PM CT first pitch as RHP Beck Way takes the mound for Northwest Arkansas. Fans can catch all the action with the "Voice of the Naturals", Shawn Murnin, on nwanaturals.com or through the MiLB First Pitch app, available on Android and iPhone.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics

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Texas League Stories from April 29, 2023


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