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TL1 Springfield Cardinals

Naturals Top Cardinals to Open Series in Springdale

June 16, 2016 - Texas League (TL1)
Springfield Cardinals News Release


Springdale, AR - The Northwest Arkansas Naturals topped the Springfield Cardinals, 12-6, before 4,047 fans at Arvest Ballpark on Wednesday night.

The Cardinals continue to battle the Tulsa Drillers for 1st place in the North Division First Half Standings, with only five games remaining in the half. Tulsa beat the Arkansas Travelers on Wednesday, moving back in front of Springfield by a half-game. Since Tulsa will only play 69 games in the half due to a rain out, winning percentage will determine the 1st Half Winner. The Cardinals are currently 36-29 with a .554 winning percentage, just behind the Drillers who are 36-28 with a .563 winning percentage.

Going up against rehabbing Royals RHP Kris Medlen, Cardinals RHP Corey Baker (L, 2-5) blanked the Naturals (29-36) through his first three frames. However, Northwest Arkansas broke through with a big eight-run rally in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded and one away, 3B Jack Lopez lined an RBI single to left field that scored DH Cameron Gallagher from third and led to CF Bubba Starling trying to score from second. However, LF Jonathan Rodriguez fielded the single in left field and fired a strike to the plate, throwing out Starling to only allow one run to score on the play. SS Carlos Diaz, though, worked a walk to reload the bases with two away, before LF Terrance Gore brought in a pair with a two-out, two-run single. RHP Chris Perry took over on the mound with two men on, but hit 2B Corey Toups to load the bases once more. A two-run single from RF Logan Moon stretched it to a 5-0 lead. With runners at first and second and Gallagher at the plate, C Carson Kelly was charged with a passed ball that moved the runners to second and third. After Gallagher finished a walk, a wild pitch advanced all three runners with Toups scoring from third. 1B Ryan O'Hearn then dealt the final blow with a two-run single, scoring Moon and Gallagher to make it 8-0.

After Perry settled things down with a scoreless fifth inning, the Cardinals swung onto the board in the top of the sixth. With one away, 3B Paul DeJong clubbed a solo shot to left field, his 11th home run of the year and team-leading 40th RBI, making it 8-1.

Springfield continued to chip away in the top of the seventh. With one away, CF Harrison Bader reached on his third single of the night, an infield base hit to the left of the mound that was compounded by a throwing error from RHP Evan Beal, enabling Bader to get to second on the play. LF Jonathan Rodriguez then brought Bader home right away with an RBI single up the middle, cutting it down to an 8-2 deficit.

The Naturals, though, responded with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to stretch the lead back out. O'Hearn opened the inning with a solo shot, followed by singles from Starling, C Allan de San Miguel and Lopez to load the bases with no outs. A double play ball retired two outs but did allow Starling to score, before Gore added the frame's final run with an RBI base hit to make it 11-2.

The Cardinals again cut the deficit with a pinch-hit, two-run single from CF Breyvic Valera in the top of the eighth, before Northwest Arkansas countered with a de San Miguel sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, stretching the Naturals lead to 12-4 heading into the ninth.

Facing RHP Matt Alvarez, the Cardinals had one last charge in the top of the ninth. 2B Bruce Caldwell started the stanza with a single, followed by a double from 1B Luke Voit. One out later, DeJong collected another RBI with a sacrifice fly, bringing in Caldwell for his 42nd RBI of the year. With C Luis Cruz at bat, a wild pitch bounced away and enabled Voit to charge home, cutting the Naturals lead to six runs. Cruz then worked a walk, before DH Michael Ohlman ripped a single, putting two runners on with two away. Alvarez, though, induced a game-ending groundball from SS Juan Herrera, closing the 12-6 win for the Naturals.

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