SPRINGDALE — Brooks Pounders wasn’t sure how his start would go after the first inning Thursday night, but it turned out pretty well.
The huge right-hander tossed the first complete-game no-hitter in Northwest Arkansas Naturals history in an 11-0 win over Midland at Arvest Ballpark.
“After the first inning, I wasn’t sure how this would go, but I stuck to the game plan,” said Pounders, who was mobbed by his teammates in front of the mound after the final out. “After the second, I kinda settled in. I’ve never thrown one before. I took one into the eighth at Myrtle Beach last year.”
Pounders (3-4) was efficient, throwing just 98 pitches and 70 for strikes. He struck out six, didn’t walk a man but did hit Midland’s Tyler Ladendorf with an 0-2 pitch with two outs in the fifth. Pounders retired the final 13 hitters in a row.
The only other RockHounds base runner came on a Naturals error with two outs in the third.
The 6-foot-5, 268-pounder breathed a sigh of relief when Naturals center fielder Brett Eibner ran down a liner into the gap by Midland shortstop Darwin Perez to start the top of the ninth. But Pounders credited his defense for playing well behind him.
“Whenever you see this happen, you always see some great defensive plays,” Pounders said. “Eibner ran that one down. I got a little excited.”
The Naturals have had two other no-hitters in franchise history, but the other two were combined efforts in 2011 and 20012.
Naturals manager Brian Poldberg said Pounders threw well, but even he wasn’t sure how the game would work out in the 90-degree heat.
“He had a lot of quick innings, though, and a lot of low pitch counts,” Poldberg said. “He’s been throwing the ball well for us. He pitched ahead and was aggressive.
“If the ball was hit hard, it was hit right at somebody. It’s hard to control your emotions and continue to go out there and do what you’ve got to do.”
Pounders got plenty of offensive support as the Naturals tied a season high with 16 hits. Northwest Arkansas scored all the runs it would need after four pitches in the bottom of the first inning, capped by Brian Fletcher’s three-run homer.
Short Hops
• Eibner, Orlando Calixte and Whit Merrifield each had three hits for the Naturals.
• Fletcher drove in four runs, and Merrifield drove in three.
• The Naturals will be on the road at Midland on the Fourth of July, but there will still be baseball at Arvest Ballpark. Two teams from the M.I.N.K (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas) Collegiate League will play an exhibition game beginning at 6 p.m. The Nevada Griffons will take on the Joplin Outlaws.
Extra Bases
Northwest Arkansas ranks fourth out of eight teams in the Texas League in attendance, averaging 4,827, through 35 home dates. … Frisco leads the league in attendance by a wide margin, averaging 7,363. … The Naturals rank just ahead of Springfield (4,643), while Arkansas ranks seventh (4,457). … Five of the eight teams came into Thursday’s play with identical 4-3 records, including Midland and Northwest Arkansas. …
Royals Pipeline: Pitcher Sam Sellman (7-5) pitched five scoreless innings for Wilmington (Class A-Advanced) on Thursday to notch his third consecutive win. He’s allowed one earned run over 11 innings in his last two starts.
On Deck: The Naturals will finish off a three-game series against the RockHounds and will send right-hander Andy Ferguson (1-2 4.75 ERA) to the mound against Sean Murphy (5-2 4.52).
Today’s Promotion: Several local mascots will come out to help Strike celebrate his sixth birthday.
On The Air: KQSM-FM 92.1
On The Web: www.nwanaturals.com
Midland^000^000^000^—^0^0^0
Northwest Arkansas^300^001^16x^—^11^16^1
Leon, Hunter (7) , Daley, Jr. (8) and Freitas, Taylor (8); Pounders and Graterol. W-Pounders, 3-4.. L-Leon, 4-5. HRs-Northwest Arkansas, Fletcher (6), Calixte (4).