Mike O’Neill hit a two-run single in the eighth inning and Deryk Hooker pitched around a pair of walks in the ninth inning to help the Springfield Cardinals come from behind to defeat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Sunday night at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo.
O’Neill’s single off Naturals reliever Jason Bergmann scored Cody Stanley and Jake Lemmerman to give the Cardinals a 6-5 victory.
The hit came after Matt Fields’ home run put the Naturals up 5-4 in the seventh.
It was Fields’ Texas League-leading 27th home run of the season.
The Naturals took a 2-0 lead in the first on Fields’ single to center field that scored Brett Eibner and Orlando Calixte, then went up 3-2 in the fourth on Eibner’s single that scored Angel Franco.
Springfield scored two runs in the third and two in the fourth off Naturals starter Sugar Ray Marimon, who gave up 4 runs on 8 hits in 6 innings. Jon Keck held Springfield scoreless in the seventh before Bergmann entered in the eighth.
Stanley hit a one-out single, Lemmerman then reached on a bunt single and Adam Melker walked to load the bases.
Vance Albitz then popped out for the second out before O’Neill, whose .316 average is second in the league, hit a single that scored two runs.
Hooker issued one-out walks to Fields and Lane Adams, but struck out WhitMerrifield and Franco to end the game.
Sports, Pages 17 on 07/29/2013