TEXAS LEAGUE

Cardinals shut out Naturals

Northwest Arkansas and Springfield combined for 18 hits but only one run Wednesday night.

Unfortunately for the Naturals, the run came thanks to Cody Stanley's triple and Curt Smith's single in the fifth inning that gave the Cardinals a 1-0 victory in front of an announced crowd of 3,171 at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo.

Stanley's triple led off the fifth and Smith delivered one of his four hits, a single to right field off Naturals starter J.C. Sulbaran, to give the Cardinals the only run they needed.

Sulbaran gave up at least one hit in all five innings pitched but worked out of several jams. He escaped one in the first with runners on first and second, left a runner stranded on second base in the second inning, left runners on first and third in the third inning and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth.

He couldn't escape trouble in the fifth, though, and three Cardinals pitchers held the Naturals scoreless for the sixth time this season.

The Naturals had seven hits but didn't advance a runner to second base until there were two outs in the ninth inning. Micah Gibbs hit a pinch-hit double in the ninth, but Mark Thelkeld struck out to end the game.

Springfield starter Jonathan Cornelius (6-5) held the Travs to 5 hits and struck out 4 over 7 innings. Relievers Lee Stoppelman and Joey Donofrio each gave up a hit while combining to strike out four. None of the Springfield pitchers issued a walk.

Sports on 06/12/2014

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