SPRINGDALE — The Northwest Arkansas Naturals came awfully close, but they couldn't get the ball to Anthony Lerew.
The Naturals got within three outs Saturday afternoon of forcing a deciding Game 5 in the Texas League Championship Series, in which they were going to start Lerew, who had easily won Game 1 and had been virtually unbeatable over the past two months.
But instead, Northwest Arkansas had to watch another team celebrate on its home field as Midland rallied for a 4-2, 12-inning victory in front of 2,680 at Arvest Ballpark. The RockHounds won the best-of-five series 3-1, capturing their first league title since 2005.
After finally pulling ahead in a rainy pitchers' duel, the Naturals entered the top ofthe ninth inning clinging to a 2-0 lead and with their reliable closer, Aaron Hartsock, on the mound. Shane Peterson led off by hitting a grounder at Hartsock, but Hartsock was unable to field the ball, allowing Peterson to reach on an error.
The next batter, Midland center fielder Corey Brown, lined a 3-2 pitch to right-center for a home run, wiping out the lead.
Midland won it in the 12th when Raul Padron hit a tworun home run to right off lefthander Ben Swaggerty. Padron, a reserve, was 0 for 4 in the postseason to that point and was only in the game because the RockHounds pinch-ran for Peterson in the ninth. Padron had not hit a home run against left-handers in 98 at-bats this season for three teams.
"We had the game just how we wanted it, and a routine play turned into a big inning," Naturals Manager Brian Poldberg said. "The guys battled. We had many opportunitiesin extra innings, but we just couldn't get a guy to get the job done.
"Really, there's nothing I would change right now. Their bats did the job."
The Naturals had chances to end it before Padron's home run, getting a runner on base with less than two outs in the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th. Their best chance came in the 10th, when Midland reliever Justin Friend walked the first two batters.
Jason Fernandez came on in relief, and after getting two outs, he walked David Lough, loading the bases for Corey Smith. Smith got ahead 3-0 in the count, but after taking a strike, he grounded into a fielder's choice, ending the threat.
"What can you say? Corey got his pitch and he didn't miss, and Padron got his pitch and he didn't miss," Midland Manager Darren Bush said. "Their pitchers did an outstanding job all day, as well as ours. It was a great ballgame."
Naturals left-hander Everett Teaford had his best start in months. Teaford set down 11 of the first 13 batters he faced and pitched 6 shutout innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4.
Teaford stranded twoMidland runners in scoring position in the fourth and left two more runners on base in the sixth.
"Teaford did a great job," Poldberg said. "He put us in a good position."
Teaford ended the season without a victory in his final 12 starts, though, because the Naturals couldn't do much of anything against Midland starter Tyson Ross.
Ross allowed just 3 hits and a walk over 6 shutout innings, striking out 11 batters, the most by any Texas League pitcher in this year's postseason.
"He was unbelievable today," Bush said. "He attacked the zone, was down in the zone and had good movement - a great job."
Sports, Pages 25, 29 on 09/20/2009