TL Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Nine-Run Fourth Inning Blows Naturals Past Wind Surge for Fourth Straight Win

July 10, 2021 - Texas League (TL)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


Despite falling behind after the second inning, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals scored a single-inning, season-high nine runs in the fourth inning to blow past the Wichita Wind Surge for a 10-2 victory, the club's fourth straight win of the series.

The monster fourth inning saw 13 batters come to the plate, as the Naturals scored nine runs on just six hits, also drawing a pair of walks and taking advantage of multiple Wichita errors. Nick Pratto (MLB Pipeline's No. 5 Royals' prospect) and Dairon Blanco each recorded two hits in the inning.

Pratto led off with a double, later coming around to score. Later in the frame, he tripled home two runs on a line drive down the right field line. Blanco twice singled, scoring the first time and driving in the ninth run of the inning on his second of three base hits on the night.

Pratto also had three hits, recording a single in the sixth and coming just a home run away from hitting for the cycle.

After Pratto led off the fourth. with the double, MJ Melendez (MLB Pipeline's No. 1132 Royals' prospect) walked and Blanco singled to load the bases. After an out, Pratto scored on a fielder's choice and error, then Blake Perkins drew a bases-loaded walk and Brhet Bewley singled home two runs.

Clay Dungan singled to load the bases once more, then Bobby Witt Jr. (MLB Pipeline's No. 7 prospect in baseball) brought home two runs on a fielder's choice error. Pratto tripled to clear the bases and after another out, Blanco singled to stretch the lead to seven runs at the time.

To push their run total to double-digits for the third time this week, Dungan brought home a run with a fielder's choice in the fifth inning, to bring the score to what was eventually the 10-2 final.

Beyond three-hit performance from Pratto and Blanco, Bewley also had two hits while driving in two runs and both Pratto and Fermin scored twice.

For the second straight night, Naturals pitching held the Wind Surge bats to minimal offense. Starter Angel Zerpa (MLB Pipeline's No. 28 Royals' prospect) allowed just two runs across four innings while striking out six, then turned things over to the bullpen in the fifth as Andres Sotillet (1-0) and Andres Nunez combined for five scoreless innings of one-hit baseball, while striking out four together. Sotillet's 3.0 innings earned him his first win of the season with the Naturals.

Northwest Arkansas (31-25) sits alone in first place in the Double-A Central North Division for the first time since April 7, 2019. The club is a season-best six games above .500 and has won 12 of its last 16 games.

The Naturals will look to make it five in a row and grow their division lead further Saturday at 6:05 p.m. in the fifth of six games with the Wind Surge (31-27).

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics



Texas League Stories from July 10, 2021


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