Insurance Run Lifts Naturals
April 16, 2012 - Texas League (TL1)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release
SPRINGDALE, AR - Opportunity knocked for the Naturals who took advantage of a couple of miscues by the San Antonio Missions to earn a 5-3 win Monday evening in the first game of a twi-night doubleheader at Arvest Ballpark.
San Antonio (4-6) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first when an error and a pair of walks allowed a couple of runs to come across. Naturals starter Tim Melville hit San Antonio cleanup batter Nathan Freiman to put two runners on with two out. The lead runner, Jeudy Valdez, came in to score on an error by Naturals' third baseman Kurt Mertins, and two consecutive walks forced a second run home.
But in the bottom of the second, the Naturals came right back. Johnny Whittleman doubled to start the frame and came in on a one out RBI single by Yem Prades. Carlo Testa walked to put two on, and then Prades scored when San Antonio third baseman Jedd Gyorko overthrew second base trying to get Testa. Instead, Testa ended up on third, where he was able to score on an RBI groundout by Ryan Jenkins.
The Missions squared it up when a run came in on a double play in the fourth.
Melville struggled at times with his control and ran up his pitch counts with some deep counts, but got some outs when he needed it most. He also wasn't helped by his defense, as the Mertins error led to the first two runs which were unearned. He lasted four innings, allowed two hits and three runs. He walked five and struck out two in the no-decision.
Like Melville, San Antonio starter Robbie Erlin also recorded a no-decision. Erlin went four innings, allowing three runs on three hits. He walked three and fanned three. Like Melville two of his runs were unearned.
Northwest Arkansas (4-6) retook the lead 4-3 in the fifth on a Ryan Jenkins double and a sacrifice fly by Christian Colon off Missions' reliever Jeremy McBryde.
Michael Mariot (1-1) relieved Melville and pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing a leadoff double to Carlos Sosa in the sixth. Naturals' skipper Brian Poldberg summoned Naturals' franchise saves leader Patrick Keating with one out to go in the sixth. Keating ran the count full on Missions' ninth-place hitter Reymond Fuentes but fanned him to strand the tying run at third.
The Naturals were able to get some much needed insurance in the sixth. Yem Prades, who was 3-for-3, singled and swiped second base and was able to take third when San Antonio catcher Jason Hagerty airmailed the throw into center field. A wild pitch by McBryde (0-1) allowed Prades to score, extending the Northwest Arkansas lead to 5-3.
Keating walked the leadoff batter Jaff Decker to start the seventh and Decker swiped second. Keating fanned Jeudy Valdez, but Jedd Gyorko singled up the middle to score Decker to cut the Naturals lead to 5-4. Naturals' right fielder Paulo Orlando caught a fly from Nathan Freiman for the second out, and Rincon also flied to right for the final out to earn Keating his third save on the season.
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Texas League Stories from April 16, 2012
- Frisco Extends Win Streak to Four - Frisco RoughRiders
- Travs Lose Third Straight 2-1 - Arkansas Travelers
- Naturals, Missions Split Twinbill - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cardinals Hold off Midland in 5-3 Win - Springfield Cardinals
- Insurance Run Lifts Naturals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Drillers Win 4th Straight - Tulsa Drillers
- Naturals Host Defending Texas League Champs - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- A.J. Griffin Named Texas League Pitcher of the Week - Midland RockHounds
- Game Notes, April 16 at Tulsa - Corpus Christi Hooks
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