The Northwest Arkansas Naturals gave up nine hits and allowed the Tulsa Drillers to score in five different innings of an 8-2 loss on Sunday. It could have been worse, too.
Four Naturals pitchers combined to give up the eight runs at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, and those four also combined to walk nine batters. All nine of Tulsa’s starters reached base at least once and the Drillers put runners on base in six different innings while stranding nine base runners.
Northwest Arkansas starter Noel Arguelles walked four batters while giving up 5 runs on 6 hits in 3 2/3 innings. And though reliever Santiago Garrido walked one in 3 1/3 innings, Nick Rogers walked 3 while giving up 2 runs in 1 inning and Jon Keck walked another in the ninth.
Arguelles, who has walked 10 batters in 19 innings this year, pitched a perfect first inning, but gave up a leadoff walk in the second that sparked a three-run inning for the Drillers. He then gave up consecutive two out walks to Delta Cleary, Joey Wong, and Kent Matthes, the last of which scored a Tulsa run and ended Arguelles’ day.
Rogers relieved Garrido to start the eighth and issued three walks and threw a wild pitch as Tulsa added two runs to its lead as the Drillers preserved a split in the four-game series.
The Naturals had plenty of opportunities to keep up.
Orlando Calixte and Rey Navarro each had two hits and the Naturals put runners on base in six different innings while stranding nine runners. But Tulsa’s three pitchers issued only two walks - to Yem Prades in the first and to Juan Graterol in the ninth - neither of which led to runs and Northwest Arkansas left the bases loaded in the first, stranded two runners in the third and one each in the second, fifth, seventh and ninth innings.
The Naturals got their first run in the second when Whit Merrifield singled, moved to second on a wild pitch, stole third base and scored on Graterol’s single to get within 3-1.
They got within 5-2 in the fifth when Calixte and Navarro hit back to back singles and Calixte scored on Mitch Canham’s groundout.
SATURDAY’S GAMES Arkansas 6, Springfield 2 Northwest Arkansas 5, Tulsa 2 Corpus Christi 1, Frisco 0 Midland 4, San Antonio 1 SUNDAY’S GAMES Springfield 3, Arkansas 1, 10 innings Tulsa 8, Northwest Arkansas 2 Frisco 7, Corpus Christi 1 Midland 3, San Antonio 1TODAY’S GAMES All times Central Corpus Christi at Midland, 6:30 p.m.
Frisco at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m.
Arkansas at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
NW Arkansas at Springfield, 7:09 p.m.
TUESDAY’S GAMES Corpus Christi at Midland, 6:30 p.m.
Frisco at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m.
Arkansas at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
NW Arkansas at Springfield, 7:09 p.m.
Sports, Pages 17 on 04/22/2013