SPRINGDALE -- Northwest Arkansas found morning baseball to its liking Wednesday and enjoyed a 1-0 lead over Springfield through four innings.
Then it turned into afternoon, and the game turned on the Naturals, as well. Every Springfield starter had at least one hit -- including four by leadoff hitter Harrison Bader -- and the Cardinals pounded their way to a 10-6 victory before an Arvest Ballpark crowd of 7,012 that mostly consisted of school kids.
C.J. McElroy had a two-run double and Bruce Caldwell added a two-run home run in the fifth off starting pitcher Eric Skoglund, who had limited Springfield (15-11) to just two hits over the first four innings.
"What really hurt us was we had a 2-2 count on McElroy," Northwest Arkansas manager Vance Wilson said. "Somehow we got confused out there on what pitch to throw, and he comes back with that big hit. Even then we were down 4-1, and with the way the wind was blowing, we still thought we were in it."
Springfield, which matched a season-high in runs scored, was even rougher on reliever Estarlin Cordero, who allowed six runs on two innings. The Cardinals had three straight RBI hits off the left-hander in the sixth and added three more in the seventh, two of them coming off DeJong's home run.
Northwest Arkansas made the game more respectable in the ninth when the Naturals compiled five runs off Springfield relievers Joey Donofrio and Chris Thomas. The big blast was a two-run home run by Ryan O'Hearn, who was making his Double-A debut after being promoted from Class A-Advanced Wilmington, where he hit .352 with seven home runs.
"We don't give up, and that goes without saying," Wilson said. "We battle and compete, and we don't throw away at-bats. All of a sudden, we get another runner on and it could have been real interesting."
SHORT HOPS
• Ramon Torres extended his hitting streak to 11 games with his fifth-inning single. It is the Texas League's longest current hitting streak.
• Raul Mondesi was a late scratch for the game and caused Wilson to shuffle the lineup, with Jack Lopez taking over at second. Wilson said Mondesi was dealing with a sore muscle, and holding him out of the game was a precautionary measure.
• Bader now has a pair of four-hit games this season, both of them coming against Northwest Arkansas.
On Deck: Springfield and Northwest Arkansas return to action at 7:05 p.m. today for the third game of their four-game series. The Naturals will send right-hander Alec Mills (1-1, 2.79) to the mound, while Springfield counters with righty Mike Mayers (2-2, 3.54).
Today's Promotion: It's Buck Night on Thirsty Thursday, and fans can purchase small soft drinks and a number of other concession stand items for $1.
On The Air: KQSM-FM 92.1
On The Web: www.nwanaturals.com.
Sports on 05/05/2016