TEXAS LEAGUE

Naturals outslug Travelers

— The Northwest Arkansas Naturals came into Friday’s doubleheader at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock a team on a five-game losing streak and left looking like a team that was anything but.

The Naturals downed the Arkansas Travelers in both halves of the doubleheader - 5-1 in the first game and 9-2 in the second, rain-shortened game - front of an announced crowd of 3,077.

After managing just 12 hits in the first two games of the series - 12-2 and 4-3 losses to the Travs - the Naturals pounded out 28 hits in Friday’s two games. The second game was called because of rain with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Tied 1-1 going into the top of the fifth of the first game, the Naturals put four consecutive base runners aboard en route to scoring three runs and take a commanding 4-1 lead. Yem Prades and Will Merrified singled to left to start of the inning before Brian Fletcher sent a double to left to plate Prades. Designated hitter Kevin Kouzmanoff singled to left to bring in Merrifield before a sacrifice fly to right field by Mario Lisson to bring in Fletcher from third.

The Naturals tacked on one more in the top of the seventh when Fletcher led off with a double to right before being driven in by a single to center field by Lisson.

The Travelers opened the scoring in the second inning when Brian Hernandez walked to lead off the inning. Carlos Ramirez hit a two-out single to center to advance Hernandez into scoring position and Drew Heid brought Hernandez in with a seeing eye single past second for the Travelers lone run of the game.

Prades scored the Naturals only other run of the game in the top of third. He hit a double to left-center with one out and then came home two batters later when Kouzmanoff hit a single to center.

In the second game, the Naturals jumped out to a 6-0 lead before the Travelers scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Catcher Julio Rodriguez and third baseman Michael Liberto scored in the second on a single up the middle by Prades. The Naturals scored another run in the third when Paulo Orlando came home from third on a single to right by Kouzmanoff. The Naturals added three more in the fourth - one on a balk by Dakota Robinson that brought in Liberto and two more on a home run to left by Orlando.

The Travelers answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Paul McAnulty scored from second on a double through the hole at shortstop by designated hitter Casey Haerther. Roberto Lopez scored the Travelers only other run when he scored from third on a throwing error by Liberto.

The Naturals scored three more in the fifth, two of them on errors. Prades scored from third on a passed ball by Adrian Gutierrez. Fletcher and Orlando came in on a single to left-center by Lisson, but Orlando came in on a fielding error on the relay by second baseman Whit Merrifield.

Today’s game SPRINGFIELD AT ARKANSAS

WHEN 7:10 p.m. Central WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas INTERNET travs.com PITCHERS Travelers: RHP Orangel Arenas (5-10, 5.29 ERA); Cardinals: RHP Seth Maness (10-3, 3.41) TICKETS Gates open one hour before game. Tickets are $12 box, $8 reserved ($5 children), $6 general admission ($4 children) PROMOTIONS Post game fireworks. First 1,000 adults receive a free Halos dance team poster.

TRAVELERS WEEK AHEAD

TODAY Springfield, 7:10 p.m.

SUNDAY Springfield, 2 p.m.

MONDAY Springfield, 1:30 p.m.

Sports, Pages 26 on 09/01/2012

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