Northwest Arkansas broke a five-game losing streak Friday night by pounding out a season-high 16 hits in a 9-1 victory over Springfield in front of a sellout crowd of 8,035 at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale.
Each of the first six batters in the Naturals' lineup had two hits, while No. 8 hitter Parker Morin had a game-high three, including the team's lone extra-base knock, a fourth-inning double that he tried to stretch into a triple.
The Naturals (12-22) broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the third on a throwing error by third baseman Patrick Wisdom before busting the game open with two runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth when they batted around.
The Naturals two-run fifth came with two outs. After a groundout and strikeout, Lane Adams and Jorge Bonifacio each singled. Adams stole third and came home on Mark Threlkeld's single to left. Bonifacio, who stopped at second on Threlkeld's hit, scored on Juan Graterol's hit to left to give the Naturals a 3-1 lead.
Four consecutive singles keyed the Naturals' five-run sixth. The last of the four, Bonifacio's hit to center, scored Justin Trapp and Whit Merrifield. After two consecutive outs, Jared Schlehuber and Morin lined back-to-back hits to give Northwest Arkansas a 9-1 lead.
Naturals starter Sam Selman (2-2) and relievers Angel Baez and Andrew Triggs held the Cardinals (17-17) to five hits, with Cody Stanley's one-out home run off Selman in the top of the second accounting for Springfield's only run.
Springfield's Sam Gaviglio (1-5) was touched for 8 hits and 4 runs -- 2 unearned -- in 4 2/3 innings, while the Naturals added 5 more runs on 5 hits in Logan Billbrough's 1 inning in relief of Gaviglio.
The Naturals were 9 for 21 with runners in scoring position and left 13 on for the game.
Adams' stolen base was his 12th of the season, which is second-most in the Texas League behind Midland's Billy Burns who has 14.
Sports on 05/10/2014