Travelers roar over Naturals; playoffs loom

SPRINGDALE -- The Arkansas Travelers' late-season success against shorthanded Northwest Arkansas continued Sunday night.

An three-run home run by Eric Stamets set the tone as the Travelers beat the Naturals 7-3 in front of an announced crowd of 6,396 at Arvest Ballpark.

Arkansas has won five of the past six games against the Naturals heading into today's regular-season finale.

"We aren't facing the same starters we were facing when they were beating us," Travelers Manager Phillip Wellman said of the Naturals, who continued to lose players off their roster on Sunday with the Kansas City Royals calling up outfielder Lane Adams and reliever Brandon Finnegan. "They are definitely depleted."

The Travelers took a 3-0 second-inning lead off Naturals starter Matt Murray . Jett Bandy was hit by a pitch with one out and Matt Long singled to right before Stamets hit a line-drive home run to left field.

The Travelers outhit the Naturals 11-6 in a game that saw 15 walks.

"We are pitching some guys who probably shouldn't be pitching at this level," Naturals Manager Vance Wilson said. "It was definitely sloppy.

Wilson said it's difficult to control winning and losing, with one game remaining.

"I know where the guys' minds are," he said. "I've been there, done that. I just want them to play hard. I've told them that people pay money to watch them play and they owe it to them to try to play a good, clean game."

Northwest Arkansas pulled within 3-2 in the third off Travelers starter Tyler DeLoach when Jorge Bonifacio was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Mark Threlkeld added a sacrifice fly.

The Travelers made it 5-2 in the fourth after loading the bases with one out. Alex Yarbrough's sacrifice fly made it 4-2 and Stamets scored on a wild pitch.

Arkansas led 6-2 in the sixth when Kaleb Cowart walked and scored on a two-out single from Michael Bianucci.

Kurt Spomer (3-3) picked up the victory in relief of starter Tyler DeLoach. Spomer worked 2 1/3 innings before Ryan Chaffee closed out the final two innings.

DeLoach threw 110 pitches over 4 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs, 4 hits and 6 walks while striking out 5.

DeLoach needed to get one more out to qualify for the victory.

"As much as I wanted him to go five innings, he just couldn't do it," Wellman said.

The Travelers will look to maintain momentum heading into Wednesday's Texas League Playoff series opener at Tulsa while the Naturals wrap up their seventh season in today's 1 p.m. finale.

"We just want to keep trying to win and keep playing well heading into the playoffs," Wellman said.

Sports on 09/01/2014

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