SPRINGDALE -- Northwest Arkansas struggled with the gloves in the early innings and Tulsa opened up the big bats late, posting a 7-0 win in the first game of a seven-inning doubleheader Tuesday at Arvest Ballpark.
The Naturals committed three errors in the first two innings, leading to two early unearned Drillers' runs. J.C. Sulbaran was solid on the mound for Northwest Arkansas (32-24) in six innings, allowing just the two unearned runs on four hits. But a pair of errors by Balbino Fuenmayor and another error with two outs in the second by Hunter Dozier was too much to overcome with Tulsa pitcher Mickey Storey working a solid complete-game seven innings on the other side.
TULSA 7, NW ARKANSAS 0
Tulsa^110^000^5^—^7^8^0
NW Arkansas^000^000^0^—^0^5^3
Tulsa^AB^R^H^RBI^BB^SO^LOB^AVG
Law, SS^2^1^0^0^1^0^0^.200
Lavin, CF^4^1^2^0^0^0^2^.170
Drake, RF^3^1^1^1^1^2^0^.271
Anderson, La, 1B^2^1^0^0^2^1^2^.222
Cunningham, DH^4^0^0^0^0^1^5^.257
Olivera, 2B^3^2^3^4^1^0^0^.308
Mayora, 3B^4^0^1^0^0^0^4^.244
Solis, C^4^0^1^0^0^1^4^.129
Rathjen, LF^3^1^0^0^1^1^3^.096
Totals^29^7^8^5^6^6^20^
HR: Olivera (1). TB: Solis; Drake; Mayora; Lavin 2; Olivera 6. RBI: Drake (14), Olivera 4 (4). 2-out RBI: Olivera 4.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Lavin; Solis; Rathjen. SAC: Law. Team RISP: 3-for-12. Team LOB: 8.
NW Arkansas^AB^R^H^RBI^BB^SO^LOB^AVG
Adams, L, LF^4^0^0^0^0^2^2^.290
Mondesi, SS^3^0^1^0^0^1^1^.244
Bonifacio, J, RF^3^0^0^0^0^2^2^.233
Fuenmayor, 1B^2^0^0^0^1^1^0^.340
Dozier, 3B^3^0^0^0^0^1^2^.211
Starling, CF^3^0^1^0^0^1^0^.241
Bianucci, DH^2^0^1^0^1^1^0^.294
Liddi, 2B^3^0^0^0^0^1^3^.278
Morin, P, C^3^0^2^0^0^0^1^.250
Totals^26^0^5^0^2^10^11^
2B: Bianucci (12), Starling (4). 3B: Morin, P. TB: Mondesi; Morin, P 4; Starling 2; Bianucci 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Dozier; Morin, P; Liddi; Bonifacio, J.
Team RISP: 0-for-8. Team LOB: 7.
BASERUNNING SB: Mondesi (5). FIELDING E: Fuenmayor 2 (7), Dozier (8). DP:(Mondesi).
PITCHING
Tulsa^IP^H^R^ER^BB^SO^HR^ERA
Storey (W, 1-1)^7.0^5^0^0^2^10^0^2.70
NW Arkansas^IP^H^R^ER^BB^SO^HR^ERA
Sulbaran (L, 4-4)^6.0^4^2^0^3^5^0^3.30
Peterson, M^0.2^3^5^5^3^0^1^3.55
Pruneda^0.1^1^0^0^0^1^0^2.79
WP: Peterson, M.
Umpires: HP: Ron Teague. 1B: Clay Park. 3B: Clayton Hamm.
TULSA^2,^NW^ARKANSAS^0
^Tulsa^110^000^0^—^2^8^0
^NW^Arkansas^000^000^0^—^0^5^0
Tulsa^ AB^R^ H^ RBI^ BB^ SO^ LOB^ AVG
Law,^SS^ 3^ 0^ 1^ 0^ 0^ 1^ 2^ .206
Lavin,^CF^ 3^ 1^ 1^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 1^ .174
Drake,^RF^ 3^ 0^ 1^ 1^ 0^ 0^ 0^ .273
Anderson,^La,^1B^ 3^ 0^ 1^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 1^ .224
Cunningham,^3B^ 3^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 1^ 1^ .247
Zarraga,^C^ 3^ 1^ 1^ 0^ 0^ 1^ 0^ .236
Mayora,^DH^ 3^ 0^ 1^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 0^ .246
Dixon,^2B^ 3^ 0^ 1^ 0^ 0^ 2^ 2^ .261
Rathjen,^LF^ 3^ 0^ 1^ 1^ 0^ 1^ 1^ .109
Totals^ 27^ 2^ 8^ 2^ 0^ 6^ 8^ ^
3B:^Lavin^(2). TB:^Rathjen;^Drake;^Anderson,^La;^Zarraga;^Dixon;^Mayora;^Lavin^3;^Law.
RBI:^Drake^(15),^Rathjen^(5). Runners^left^in^scoring^position,^2^out:^Law^2;^Rathjen. GIDP:^Lavin,^Anderson,^La. Team^RISP:^1-for-5. Team^LOB:^4. BASERUNNING
SB:^Dixon^(13,^2nd^base^off^Selman/Evans). FIELDING Outfield^assists:^Rathjen^).
NW^Arkansas^ AB^ R^ H^ RBI^ BB^ SO^ LOB^ AVG
Adams,^L,^CF^ 3^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 1^ 0^ .278
Mondesi,^SS^ 3^ 0^ 1^ 0^ 0^ 1^ 0^ .247
Liddi,^1B^ 3^ 0^ 1^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 0^ .279
Bianucci,^DH^ 3^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 2^ 2^ .289
Bonifacio,^J,^RF^ 3^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 1^ 2^ .230
Dozier,^3B^ 3^ 0^ 2^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 0^ .218
Evans,^C^ 3^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 1^ 2^ .295
Diekroeger,^2B^ 2^ 0^ 1^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 1^ .286
Gore,^LF^ 2^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 1^ 1^ .279
Totals^ 25^ 0^ 5^ 0^ 0^ 7^ 8^ ^
2B:^Liddi^(11),^Dozier^(12). TB:^Diekroeger;^Mondesi;^Dozier^3;^Liddi^2. Runners^left^in^scoring^position,^2^out:^Bonifacio,^J^2;^Gore.
Team^RISP:^0-for-5. Team^LOB:^4. FIELDING DP:^2^(Mondesi-Liddi,^Dozier-Diekroeger-Liddi).
PITCHING
Tulsa^ IP^ H^ R^ ER^ BB^ SO^ HR^ ERA
Kehrt^(W,^4-4)^ 7.0^ 5^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 7^ 0^ 2.92
NW^Arkansas^ IP^ H^ R^ ER^ BB^ SO^ HR^ ERA
Murray^(L,^4-1)^ 5.0^ 6^ 2^ 2^ 0^ 4^ 0^ 4.37
Selman^ 2.0^ 2^ 0^ 0^ 0^ 2^ 0^ 4.03
WP:^Murray. Umpires:^HP:^Clay^Park.^1B:^Clayton^Hamm.^3B:^Ron^Teague.
"It started with the first inning of the game, your lack of mental preperation," Naturals manager Vance Wilson said. "I'm embarrassed and these guys should be embarrassed. We're a better team than that."
The Drillers broke the game open in the top of the seventh off of reliever Mark Peterson. Tulsa second baseman Hector Olivera delivered the final big blow with a two-out grand slam over the left field wall for the final 7-0 margin.
Game 2
Tulsa 2, Northwest Arkansas 0
Peter Lavin tripled and scored on a Yadir Drake one-out grounder in the first inning and Tulsa used three singles in the second inning for another run, getting all the offense it would need in the nightcap to complete the doubleheader sweep.
Jeremy Kehrt tossed Tulsa's second consecutive complete-game shutout of the the night for the Drillers (24-31), giving up just five hits with seven strikeouts.
"We had plenty of chances," Wilson said. "I thought our intent of how we went about our business today was terrible and that leads to poor execution."
On Deck: Tulsa will start righthander Jose DeLeon (0-2, 3.15) and Northwest Arkansas is expected to start righthander Christian Binford (0-2, 5.32). The game will be the first of three games televised this season by Cox Communications on SD Channel 78 and HD Channel 2078.
Today's Promotion: Winning Wednesday. If the Naturals win Wednesday, all tickets to the June 10 game are good for a free reserved ticket to Naturals home game on July 8.
On The Air: KQSM-FM 92.1
On The Web: www.nwanaturals.com
Sports on 06/10/2015