TEXAS LEAGUE

Home run ties it up, rain halts it in 10th

Northwest Arkansas center fielder Brett Eibner rounds third base and is congratulated by Manager Brian Poldberg after hitting a home run in the first inning of the Naturals’ game against the Arkansas Travelers on Tuesday at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale. The game was suspended by rain in the 10th inning with the score tied at 8-8 and will be completed before today’s regularly scheduled game.
Northwest Arkansas center fielder Brett Eibner rounds third base and is congratulated by Manager Brian Poldberg after hitting a home run in the first inning of the Naturals’ game against the Arkansas Travelers on Tuesday at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale. The game was suspended by rain in the 10th inning with the score tied at 8-8 and will be completed before today’s regularly scheduled game.

SPRINGDALE - Rain forced the suspension of the second game of a three-game series between Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday.

The game was tied 8-8 in the top of the 10th when heavy rains hit Arvest Ballpark and the field was cleared. After a 44-minute delay, the game was suspended until 6 p.m. today, with the regularly scheduled 7 p.m. game to follow.

Shortly after the suspension was announced - most of the announced crowd of 4,350 had left when the heavy rains came down - the rain picked up again. Naturals reliever Zach Jackson had an 0-2 count on Arkansas designated hitter Robbie Widlansky in the top of the 10th, and the game will pick up from that point today.

The rain stopped a game that saw the Naturals set a franchise record with six home runs, a record that will become official if the game is completed today. Naturals shortstop Rey Navarro singled in the first inning, unofficially extending his hitting streak to 17 games.

The game had a chance to end before the rain came with the Travelers leading by a run in the bottom of the ninth, but Naturals pinch-hitter Orlando Calixte led off the inning with a home run against Arkansas reliever David Carpenter.

The Travelers got on the scoreboard early against Naturals starter Sugar Ray Marimon. Jimmy Swift led off the game with a double, advanced to third on Taylor Lindsey’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Cyle Hankerd’s sacrifice fly.

The Naturals answered quickly. Brett Eibner led off the bottom of the first with a home run against Travelers starter Matt Oye. Angel Franco singled and scored when Brian Fletcher hit a two-run home run to put the Naturals ahead 3-1.

The Naturals added runs in the third when Cheslor Cuthbert hit a two-run home run off Oye to give Northwest Arkansas a 5-1 lead.

Marimon cruised after Swift’s opening hit but ran into trouble again in the fourth. Hankerd led off the inning with a home run, and consecutive doubles by C.J. Cron and Kaleb Cowart scored another run to cut the Naturals’ lead to 5-3.

Northwest Arkansas got a run back in the fifth when Fletcher homered for the second time of the game and the 10th time this year. The Travelers chased Marimon in the top of the sixth with Widlansky’s two-run single that brought Arkansas to within 6-5.

The Travelers seized the lead in the top of the seventh against Naturals reliever Scott Alexander. After an out, Arkansas collected five consecutive singles, scoring runs on hits by Cron and and Cowart.

A bases-loaded walk to Widlansky scored another run and gave Arkansas a 8-6 lead.

Eibner got a run back for Northwest Arkansas with a lead off home run off Arkansas reliever Caleb Graham in the seventh, his second of the game and 15th of the year. Eibner’s home run cut the lead to 8-7.

TUESDAY’S GAMES

Arkansas at NW Arkansas, susp., rain Midland 1, Frisco 0 San Antonio 11, Corpus Christi 3 Springfield 13, Tulsa 2

TODAY’S GAMES All times Central

Arkansas at NW Arkansas, 7 p.m.

San Antonio at Corpus Christi, 7:05 p.m.

Midland at Frisco, 7:05 p.m.

Tulsa at Springfield, 7:09 p.m.

THURSDAY’S GAMES Corpus Christi at Midland, 7 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 21 on 07/24/2013

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