TL1 Arkansas Travelers

Travs Drop Third Straight at NW Arkansas

Published on June 10, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release


Springdale, AR-- Monday night the Arkansas Travelers dropped their third straight game to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals by losing 6-5. Arkansas led 4-1 in the third inning, but was kept from scoring again until the ninth inning. The Travs remain tied with Springfield for first place in the North Division, with Tulsa just a half game behind them.

Northwest Arkansas started Benton, AR native Andy Ferguson on the mound for just the second time this season. Ferguson found trouble in the first inning after he allowed a single to Jimmy Swift with one out. Taylor Lindsey followed and laced a triple down the line in right to score Swift, and give the Travs a 1-0 lead. However, Ferguson stranded Lindsey at third by striking out Randal Grichuk and Robbie Widlansky to end the inning.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Naturals tied the game against Arkansas RH Mike Piazza without putting a ball into play. Whit Merrifield led off with a walk, and then stole second before scoring on two wild pitches. Piazza struck out three straight hitters after yielding the lead off walk, but Merrifield's run tied the game one.

In the third inning, the Travs put a two-out rally together to retake the lead. Taylor Lindsey launched a home run over the wall in right to put the Travs ahead 2-1. The homer for Lindsey was his team-leading tenth of the season. After Randal Grichuk walked, Robbie Widlansky popped up to the pitchers mound for what looked like would end the inning. However, 3B Rey Navarro stumbled coming across the mound and dropped the ball. The error extended the inning and gave C.J. Cron a chance to bat with runners on the corners. Cron capitalized by sending a double to wall in left center field. On the play Grichuk and Widlansky came home, and the two-run double by Cron gave Arkansas a 4-1 lead.

However just like Sunday's game when the Travs let a three-run lead slip away, the Naturals came right back in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs in the inning the Naturals rallied with three straight hits. Juan Graterol opened the inning with a hit, and scored on a single by Matt Fields. That brought Yem Prades to the plate. Prades, who drove in the winning runs with a seventh inning hit on Sunday, singled to score Brian Fletcher. Suddenly the Travs led by only a run with Mitch Canham at the plate. Canham extended the rally by doubling off of the foul line in right with runners at second and third. The double capped the four run inning for Northwest Arkansas, and gave the Naturals a 5-4 lead.

In the fourth inning, the Naturals turned to their bullpen. Ferguson exited after allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits in three innings. J.C. Sulbaran took over on the mound and was spectacular for the Naturals. The RH threw four scoreless inning, and helped the Naturals maintain the one run lead. Sulbaran surrendered only two hits over the four inning appearance, and stranded three runners on base.

Mike Piazza continued on the mound for Arkansas, and he too slowed the opposing offense. Piazza did not allow a hit in the fourth, and in the fifth inning struck out the Naturals 3-5 hitters in order. Piazza retired eight straight from the fourth inning until the sixth inning, when he allowed consecutive singles to Angel Franco and Juan Graterol. That's when Travs skipper Tim Bogar called on Ryan Chaffee to finish the sixth inning. Chaffee did just that by forcing Whit Merrifield to ground out to third base.

However, in the seventh inning the Naturals got to Chaffee for a run. Calixte opened the inning with a double, and later scored on a singly by Fields.

Northwest Arkansas turned to Jon Keck in the eighth inning to defend the Naturals 6-4 lead. Keck allowed singled to Robbie Widlansky and Kaleb Cowart in the first three batters he faced, but avoided any trouble. Keck forced Witherspoon to line out softly to first base for the second out, and then induced a ground out to shortstop by Jett Bandy that ended the threat.

Zack Jackson pitched the ninth inning for the Naturals, and retired the first two batters he faced before allowing a triple to Lindsey. Grichuk followed with a single that scored Lindsey, and brought Widlansky to the plate representing the go ahead run.

Unfortunately for the Travs, the rally in the ninth fell short. Jackson struck out Widlansky looking to end the game. The save for Jackson marked his third of the series.

Sulbaran was credited with the win for the Naturals, while Piazza (2-2) took the loss for the Travs.

Taylor Lindsey led the Travs by going 3-for-5 with two triples and a home run.

The loss sends Arkansas to a game under .500 (30-31) for the first time since May 10, when they were 16-17.

Arkansas concludes their series and road trip on Tuesday at Northwest Arkansas. First pitch against the Naturals at Arvest Ballpark is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.m Coverage of the game begins at 6:40 p.m. with the Travs Dugout Show on Sports Animal 920.

Check out the Arkansas Travelers Statistics

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