Minor league baseball: Drillers edge Naturals, force split in series

SPRINGDALE -- Northwest Arkansas had the Texas League's best record in one-run games entering Saturday's series finale with Tulsa.

The Drillers, however, turned the tables in order to manage a split in the four-game series. Erick Mejia's eighth-inning single past a drawn-in infield allowed Errol Robinson to score and give Tulsa a 5-4 victory over the Naturals at Arvest Ballpark.

Drillers 7, Naturals 6

Tulsa^021^000^310^—^7^9^2

NW Arkansas^000^402^000^—^6^7^3

Tulsa^AB^R^H^RBI^BB^SO^LOB^AVG

Robinson, 2B^4^1^1^0^1^0^1^.288

Mejia, E, SS^5^0^2^1^0^1^3^.289

Ramos, H, RF^3^2^1^0^2^1^1^.511

Beaty, 3B^5^2^2^0^0^0^5^.318

Fernandez, 1B^3^1^1^0^2^1^2^.305

O’Brien, LF^3^0^0^1^2^2^4^.159

Locastro, PR-CF^0^0^0^0^0^0^0^.266

Gailen, CF-LF^5^1^1^4^0^2^5^.244

Latimore, DH^3^0^0^1^1^2^2^.278

Kennedy, C^4^0^1^0^0^2^1^.400

Totals^35^7^9^7^8^11^24^

2B: Ramos, H (1). HR: Gailen (3). RBI: Gailen 4 (9); Latimore (17); O’Brien (7); Mejia, E (11). 2-out RBI: Gailen 3. SF: Latimore. Team RISP: 3-for-12. Team LOB: 10. SB: Robinson (4); Mejia (13); Locastro (16). E: Mejia (13); Robinson (1).

NW Arkansas^AB^R^H^RBI^BB^SO^LOB^AVG

Lopez, N, SS^5^0^0^0^0^1^3^.317

Lopez, Jac, 3B^5^0^0^0^0^4^3^.280

Duenez, 1B^4^1^2^0^1^0^0^.275

Miller, RF^4^1^0^0^1^2^2^.271

Arteaga, 2B^3^2^0^0^1^2^0^.288

Dewees Jr., CF^4^1^1^0^0^2^3^.261

Escalera, LF^3^0^0^1^0^1^2^.258

Dini, C^3^1^3^2^1^0^0^.387

Jones, C, DH^4^0^1^2^0^2^4^.192

Totals^35^6^7^5^4^14^17^

BATTING

2B: Duenez 2 (18); Dini (5); Jones (1). RBI: Escalera (39); Dini 2 (14); Jones 2 (7). 2-out RBI: Dini; Jones 2. SF: Escalera. Team RISP: 3-for-14. Team LOB: 7. SB: Dini (5); Lopez, N (5). E: Dini 3 (4).

Tulsa^IP^H^R^ER^BB^SO^HR^ERA

Buehler^3.2^3^4^4^3^8^0^3.49

Johnson, M^2.1^3^2^0^0^3^0^3.86

Thurman (W, 1-1)^1.0^0^0^0^0^1^0^2.84

Kowalczyk (H, 5)^1.0^0^0^0^1^1^0^3.32

Copping (S, 9)^1.0^1^0^0^0^1^0^2.08

NW Arkansas^IP^H^R^ER^BB^SO^HR^ERA

Sparkman^3.1^4^3^3^4^3^0^5.06

Kalish (L, 0-4)^4.0^5^4^4^3^6^1^3.98

Fernandez, P^1.2^0^0^0^1^2^0^2.55

WP: Johnson, M; Fernandez, P. Pitches-strikes: Buehler 65-41; Johnson, M 34-24; Thurman 15-10; Kowalczyk 13-9; Copping 14-10; Sparkman 64-33; Kalish 75-45; Fernandez, P 24-15. Umpires: HP: Sean Allen. 1B: Malachi Moore.

T: 3:15. Att: 4,840.

Robinson belted a one-out single in the eighth against reliever Jake Kalish (0-4), then stole second. An errant throw allowed him to take third before Mejia's single went up the middle and into center field.

"We didn't execute a couple of pitches late with our bullpen and the way they've been throwing," said Northwest Arkansas manager Vance Wilson, whose team's record in one-run games dropped to 21-12.

The Naturals (50-42 overall, 11-11 second half) took a 6-3 lead into the seventh, but Tulsa started the inning with a walk to Henry Ramos and a single by Matt Beaty. Kalish, who had relieved starter Glenn Sparkman in the fourth, picked up a pair of strikeouts, but Blake Gailen belted a three-run shot over the right-field fence to tie the game.

"Kalish had been good and had a three-run lead," Wilson said. "He just left the ball up a little to Gailen, and Gailen put a good swing on the three-run home run. Unfortunately, that's the way the game goes.

"He just got into a little bit of trouble. I thought we should have made a play up the middle, but we didn't. He comes back and strikes the next two guys out -- one being (Jose) Fernandez, who is hard to strike out. Sometimes you let up a little bit, and the next thing you know a fastball is up the middle and the guy hits it out."

Northwest Arkansas bounced back from an early 3-0 deficit with four runs in the fourth against Tulsa starter Walker Buehler, who struck out seven through the first three innings. After Buehler walked the bases loaded, Alfredo Escalera hit a sacrifice fly, followed by an RBI single by Nick Dini and a two-run double by Cody Jones.

The Naturals stretched their lead to 6-3 with a pair of unearned runs in the sixth. Dini picked up his second RBI single after Humberto Arteaga reached on an error, then a second miscue on a Nicky Lopez grounder allowed Donnie Dewees Jr. to score.

Northwest Arkansas then had a chance to tie the game in the ninth as Samir Duenez doubled into the left-field corner with two out. Anderson Miller, however, grounded out to short to end the game.

Short Hops:

• Saturday's game was played with only two working umpires after Tyler Olson was injured by a foul ball during the fourth inning of Friday's game. A replacement umpire will join the duo of crew chief Sean Allen, who worked behind the plate, and Malachi Moore for their next series.

• Dini was 3-for-3 and reached base for times for the Naturals. He had a leadoff double in the third, then drew a walk in the eighth.

• Beaty avoided injury went he went over the railing and into the stands in shallow left field as he chased a foul ball during the fourth inning. The Drillers' trainers raced toward Beaty, but he came back on the field minutes later and continued to play.

On Deck: Northwest Arkansas begin a four-game series at Springfield today, with first pitch slated for 6:10 p.m. Right-hander Corey Ray (5-6, 4.19 ERA) will start on the mound for the Naturals, while the Cardinals will counter with right-hander Zac Gallen (1-2, 3.04). Northwest Arkansas returns home Thursday to start another four-game series with Tulsa.

On The Air: KQSM-FM 92.1

On The Web: www.nwanaturals.com

Sports on 07/16/2017

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