6 runs in 11th keep Travs alone atop North Division

SPRINGDALE -- Adam Melker hit a grand slam as Arkansas erupted for six runs in the 11th inning Tuesday night and beat Northwest Arkansas 12-6 before an announced crowd of 3,370 at Arvest Ballpark.

Melker capped the huge inning against Ali Williams (4-2) after Michael Bianucci put the Travelers on top with an RBI double and pinch-hitter Kaleb Cowart drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a second run.

Arkansas (17-15) extended its second-half lead over the Naturals (15-17) and the Tulsa Drillers to two games and evened up the three-game series with its in-state rival. The Travelers, powered by three home runs, did the bulk of their damage in two innings after racking up five runs in the sixth.

"It's nice to have those big innings, but to be real honest I would like to see us execute better," Arkansas Manager Phillip Wellman said. "We had chances earlier with [runners at] first and third and hit into two double plays. ... We finally execute with a bases-loaded walk and a grand slam."

Northwest Arkansas had a couple of innings to envision waking up today tied with the Travelers atop the Texas League North, but the Naturals couldn't hold on to a four-run lead.

The late onslaught made a winner of Jairo Diaz (1-0), who came on in the 10th inning and retired all six batters he faced.

Northwest Arkansas staked tough-luck starter Tim Melville to a 5-1 lead through four innings, but Melville, who was gunning for his first victory since May 2, and the bullpen couldn't nail it down.

The Naturals are now 3-16 in Melville's starts.

The Travelers broke on top against Melville in the third inning with consecutive singles by Eric Stamets, Maikol Gonzalez and Alex Yarbrough for a 1-0 lead, but it didn't last long.

Orlando Calixte's sacrifice fly brought in Justin Trapp, who walked to lead off the Naturals' third inning and moved up on a wild pitch and a sacrifice. Buddy Boshers walked Jorge Bonifacio before Cheslor Cuthbert launched a two-run home run to left field for a 3-1 Northwest Arkansas lead.

The Naturals built it into a 5-1 edge in the fourth on Bonafacio's two-run single, which scored Parker Morin and Trapp, who had both reached on singles.

Melville picked up two outs in the sixth -- having recorded 10 outs in the last 11 batters -- before hitting the wall.

Center fielder Matt Long drove a pitch well over the bullpen in right field to pull the Travelers to within 5-2. Jett Bandy hit a single to extend the inning and Michael Snyder followed with a two-run shot over the left-field wall to make it 5-4 and end Melville's night.

Left-hander Noel Arguelles came on and the Travelers kept up the big inning. Melker walked on four pitches, then Stamets was hit by a pitch. Gonzalez and Yarbrough delivered back-to-back RBI singles to put Arkansas out front 6-5 and complete the five-run inning.

The score remained there until the seventh inning.

Max Ramirez hit his third single of the night to lead off for Northwest Arkansas against Carmine Giardina. Ramirez advanced on a wild pitch and then raced home on Trapp's single to left as the left fielder Gonzalez made a weak throw.

Northwest Arkansas' Cuthbert had a single, a triple, a home run and drew a walk and went 3 for 4. Cuthbert struck out in the ninth inning with a chance to hit for the cycle.

The teams wrap up their three-game series tonight at 7:05 with Arkansas left-hander Kramer Sneed (6-7, 4.58 ERA) facing off against Naturals right-hander Matt Murray (0-3, 4.72).

Sports on 07/23/2014

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