TL Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Six Extra-Base Hits and Three RBA from Fermin Help Naturals Beat Wind Surge Wednesday

Published on July 8, 2021 under Texas League (TL)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release


The Northwest Arkansas Naturals collected six extra-base hits, hit well with runners in scoring position and drove in runs when they needed to, including a five-run fifth inning, to stay ahead of the Wichita Wind Surge for much of Wednesday night with an 8-5 win in the series' second game.

As a club, Northwest Arkansas (29-25) went 4-for-12 (.333 average) with runners in scoring position. The top seven players in the batting order each contributed a hit, while all scoring at least one run in the winning effort. For the second consecutive game against Wichita (31-25), the Naturals were outhit but made the most of their hits, especially with runners in scoring position.

After Brewer Hicklen (MLB Pipeline's No. 24 Royals' prospect) hit his fourth home run of the season in the second inning, Wichita tied things up in the third but the Naturals put their foot on the gas in the 4th inning and didn't look back. Freddy Fermin doubled home two runs in the fourth, then punctuated the five-run fifth with his fourth home run of the season as well and like Hicklen's, it was a solo shot.

The first five hitters in the fifth inning reached, beginning first with a single from Clay Dungan and Bobby Witt Jr. (MLB Pipeline's No. 7 prospect in baseball) being hit by a pitch. Nick Pratto (MLB Pipeline's No. 5 Royals' prospect) tripled both runners in and came around to score on an MJ Melendez (MLB Pipeline's No. 13 Royals' prospect) double.

The offense did not let us, as Dairon Blanco singled to move Melendez to third and while Hicklen grounded into a double play, it scored Melendez. On the very next pitch, Fermin crushed the team's second homer of the game to balloon the lead to 8-2, his team-best 3rd RBI of the night, which ended up being the difference in an eventual three-run win.

Witt reached base in four of his five trips to the plate. On top of his hit by pitch, the Naturals shortstop was walked in the first and third innings and blasted his team-best fourth triple into the right-center field alley in the ninth.

Of the Naturals' eight hits, six were for extra bases, as the club recorded two of each kind of hit: two singles, two doubles (Fermin and Melendez), two triples (Pratto and Witt Jr.) and two homers (Hicklen and Fermin).

For the first time this season, Yefri Del Rosario (MLB Pipeline's No. 29 Royals' prospect) pitched into the fourth inning, as he threw a season-high 57 pitches while striking out four batters in his fourth start of the year.

Stephen Woods Jr. (4-6) was the first out of the bullpen and continued his success in relief this year, throwing 2.1 innings while striking out four and not allowing an earned run. The outing earned him his fourth win of the season and third in six appearances out of the 'pen.

After two innings of one-run ball from Nolan Watson, Colin Snider pitched the final 1.2 innings and earned his second save of the season.

After a second straight win over the first place Wind Surge, the Naturals remain in third place in the Double-A Central North but sit just 1.0 game out of first place, 0.5 game out of second, the closest they've been to first place in the division since the first week of the season.

Jonathan Heasley (MLB Pipeline's No. 12 Royals' prospect) starts Thursday night for Northwest Arkansas, as they look to jump into a tie in the standings with Wichita.

Check out the Northwest Arkansas Naturals Statistics

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Texas League Stories from July 8, 2021


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