Naturals Sweep Drillers in Doubleheader
TL Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Naturals Sweep Drillers in Doubleheader

April 29, 2025 - Texas League (TL)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


SPRINGDALE, AR - The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (12-9) knocked off the Tulsa Drillers (7-14) twice on Sunday to sweep the impromptu doubleheader and win the series. The Naturals beat the Drillers 5-3 in the first contest and 5-4 in the second game from Arvest Ballpark. Northwest Arkansas will hit the road for a six-game series against the Springfield Cardinals that starts on Tuesday at 11:15 PM CT.

The scoring started in the bottom of the first inning of game one, when Northwest Arkansas' Peyton Wilson led off with a double. Jac Caglianone plated Wilson with a double of his own to put the Naturals up 1-0 through one inning.

Naturals starter Ryan Ramsey stayed sharp in the rotation. After working through his first two innings without allowing a baserunner, he kept the top of the third scoreless.

The scoring held into the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Carter Jensen hit a single. However, rain came down, and the contest entered a weather delay that pushed the finish to Sunday. The delay marked the end of the day for both teams' starting pitchers.

Play resumed at 12:30 PM CT on Sunday, and Caden Monke took the hill for the Naturals. The right-handed pitcher kept the top of the fifth inning scoreless in 1-2-3 fashion. The Naturals added a run in the bottom of the fifth when Javier Vaz knocked in Spencer Nivens with an RBI single. Northwest Arkansas left the fifth inning up 2-0 over Tulsa.

The Drillers battled back in the top of the sixth inning. Chris Newell crushed a three-run homer to right field, and Tulsa grabbed its first lead, 3-2.

The Nats' bats got to Jackson Ferris in the bottom of the seventh. With the bases loaded, Vaz sent a single to center field that scored Nivens and Brett Squires. The Naturals led 4-3 after seven innings.

Squires drove in another run, and the Naturals led 5-3 entering the ninth inning. Brandon Johnson kept things flawless and earned the save en route to a 5-3 win over Tulsa in game one.

Game two started in a hurry, as Northwest Arkansas' starter Hunter Owen issued three free passes to open the game. Damon Keith's RBI single scored Taylor Young from third, and the Drillers struck first with a 1-0 lead.

The Naturals answered right back. Jordan Groshans drove in Caglianone with a two-run homer that gave Northwest Arkansas a 2-1 lead through one inning of the final game of the series. Northwest Arkansas tacked on another run in the home half of the fourth inning. Squires led off the frame with a single and was knocked in by Kyle Hayes' double. The Naturals led the Drillers 3-1.

Tulsa rattled off three runs in the top of the fifth and put themselves up 4-3. The Naturals answered in a big way in the bottom of the fifth inning. Caglianone took the first pitch he saw to left-center field for a double. Nivens reached on a walk, and both were plated by Sam Ruta's two-RBI single, which left Northwest Arkansas on top of Tulsa 5-4.

The scoring held there behind a save from Chazz Martinez. The left-handed pitcher went 2.0 innings of scoreless relief, striking out one and allowing two baserunners. The save capped off a 5-4 win, marking a sweep of the doubleheader and a 4-2 series win for the Naturals over the Drillers.

Northwest Arkansas starts a fresh series Tuesday, April 29, at 11:15 AM CT against the Springfield Cardinals. The road series will at from Hammons Field in Springfield, Missouri. Fans can follow the action with the "Voice of the Naturals," Shawn Murnin, on MiLB.TV, MLB.TV, the MiLB and MLB Apps, and nwanaturals.com with a subscription. Free audio is available through the MiLB App and team website, and fans can also stream for free on the Bally Sports Live app.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics



Texas League Stories from April 29, 2025


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