TEXAS LEAGUE

Witherspoon drives in 5 for Travs

Travis Witherspoon didn’t look like a .217 hitter Tuesday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.

Witherspoon went 3 for 4 with 5 RBI as the Arkansas Travelers beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals 8-3 in Texas League action.

The victory before an announced crowd of 4,091 gave the Travelers a one-game lead over the Naturals in the North Division.

Arkansas overcame an early 3-1 deficit behind Witherspoon, 24, a center fielder who finished a triple short of hitting for the cycle.

“I think you’ve seen flashes of that all season, of him swinging the bat the way he’s capable of,” Arkansas Manager Tim Bogar said. “Tonight was one of those nights”

Witherspoon had an RBI double in the second inning, a long three-run home run in the fourth inning and an RBI single in the sixth inning.

Witherspoon’s two-out home run to left field, which cleared the berm, gave Arkansas the lead for good, 4-3.

Former Arkansas State pitcher Andy Ferguson of Benton took the loss. Ferguson (2-4) allowed 6 hits, 5 runs - all earned - in 4 1/3 innings.

The Travelers finished with 11 hits, including five for extra bases. They were 5 for 9 with runners in scoring position and stranded only four runners.

Arkansas had nine hits in Monday night’s 4-1 victory over Northwest Arkansas.

“We’re putting some good at-bats together,” Bogar said. “Our situational hitting today was really good. You do those little things well, you’re going to give yourself a chance to win.”

Arkansas chased Ferguson with one out in the fifth inning following a double to right field by Jimmy Swift.

Randal Grichuk greeted reliever Sam Runion with an RBI double to center to make it 5-3.

An RBI single to right by Witherspoon helped the Travelers break the game open in a three-run sixth inning.

Travelers starter Brandon Hynick (10-3) threw six innings to earn the victory. Hynick struggled early, throwing 61 pitches in the first two innings, before settling down and retiring the final 10 batters he faced.

The Naturals staked Ferguson to an early lead on a two run double in the first inning by Jorge Bonifacio, 20, the youngest player in the Texas League.

Both runs were unearned after third baseman Kaleb Cowart booted a grounder with one out. Hynick then issued a walk, and Bonifacio doubled to right-center with two outs.

Northwest Arkansas tooka 3-1 lead on a home run by Lane Adams with one out in the third inning.

Naturals center fielder Brett Eibner, a former Arkansas standout, was 0 for 4 with a walk.

Today’s game NW ARKANSAS AT ARKANSAS

WHEN 7:10 p.m.

WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas;

KQSM-FM, 92.1, in Fayetteville WEBSITE travs.com, nwanaturals.com PITCHERS Travelers: Drew Carpenter (RHP, 2-1, 1.85 ERA); Naturals: Brooks Pounders (RHP, 4-6, 4.61) TICKETS Gates open 1 hour before game. Tickets are $12 box, $8 reserved ($5 children); $6 general admission ($4 children).

PROMOTIONS $3 discount ticket coupons are available anywhere Reddy Ice is sold in central Arkansas and at central Arkansas AT&T stores

TRAVELERS WEEK AHEAD TODAY NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.

THURSDAY Springfield, 7:10 p.m.

FRIDAY Springfield, 7:10 p.m.

SATURDAY Springfield, 6:10 p.m.

SUNDAY Springfield, 6:10 p.m.

MONDAY Off TUESDAY at San Antonio, 7:05 p.m.

NATURALS WEEK AHEAD TODAY at Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.

THURSDAY Tulsa, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY Tulsa, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY Tulsa, 7 p.m.

SUNDAY Tulsa, 6 p.m.

MONDAY Off TUESDAY at Corpus Christi, 7:05 p.m.

TUESDAY’S GAMES Arkansas 8, NW Arkansas 3 Frisco 11, Midland 6 Tulsa 4, Springfield 2 San Antonio 4, Corpus Christi 1 TODAY’S GAMES All times Central Frisco at Midland, 6:30 p.m.

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

Springfield at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.

NW Arkansas at Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.

Sports, Pages 23 on 07/31/2013

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