The Northwest Arkansas Naturals got to Arkansas Travelers starting pitcher Max Povse and held on for a 7-6 victory Tuesday night at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
Northwest Arkansas scored three runs against Povse in the second inning in front of an announced crowd of 2,841 to take a 3-1 lead and never relinquished it.
The Travs led 1-0 after the first inning after Ryan Casteel recorded an RBI single. But in the second inning, Northwest Arkansas went to work.
Elmer Hernandez led off the second with a single. After Mauricio Ramos reached on an error by Travs second baseman Gianfranco Wawoe, who dropped the ball on a throw by shortstop Joey Wong, Humberto Arteaga singled to load the bases. Allan de San Miguel, who led the Naturals with three hits, hit a two-run single to left field to give Northwest Arkansas a 2-1 lead. Ruben Sosa followed with a single to right for a 3-1 advantage.
"He got some pitches up," Northwest Arkansas Manager Vance Wilson said of Povse. "[Wawoe] dropped the ball at second base. That got the floodgates going a little bit. We took advantage. We got some big hits."
Povse (3-2), who started the season 3-0, has not recorded a victory in his past four starts. On Tuesday, he allowed 3 runs, 2 earned, on 5 hits and struck out 1 in his first start since May 5 at Tulsa.
"He wasn't as sharp as what we've seen before," Travs Manager Daren Brown said. "But that's the way it goes sometimes."
Northwest Arkansas made it 7-1 in the top of the third against Travs reliever Justin De Fratus. Ramos homered to left field, Sosa had a RBI single and Donnie Dewees hit a two-run double.
Arkansas cut the lead to 7-5 in the bottom of the third as Tyler Marlette had a bases-clearing double and Kyle Petty drove him in with a single two batters later. The Travs pulled within 7-6 in the bottom of the fourth on Wawoe's RBI double.
But that was it for the Travs, who were held to one hit in the final five innings.
"We've been inconsistent," Brown said. "We'll pitch well one game and we have trouble scoring runs. When we score runs, we don't pitch well. We have to look at doing that on the same day.
"Right now, we're just a little inconsistent with that."
Pedro Fernandez (2-2) earned the victory in relief of Naturals starter Zach Lovvorn. Fernandez allowed 1 run on 2 hits in 3 innings. Luis Rico pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, then Jake Newbery earned his sixth save of the season after going 1 1/3 innings.
"The last series, our bullpen kind of scuffled a little bit," Miller said. "So it was about getting back to what we are, throwing strikes. Not throwing too many pitches, getting out of the zone.
"Fernandez turned it around and the other guys did a great job."
Wawoe, Ian Miller and Chuck Taylor each had two hits apiece for the Travs, who were outhit 14-9.
De Fratus, 29, who had his contract from the independent Southern Maryland Blue Crabs purchased by the Seattle Mariners on May 9, pitched 5 2/3 innings of relief for Arkansas. He scattered 9 hits and allowed 4 runs, walked 1 and struck out 1 on 80 pitches.
Today’s game
TRAVELERS VS. NATURALS
WHEN 7:10 p.m.
WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock
RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas; KQSM-92.1, in Northwest Arkansas
WEBSITE travs.com
PITCHERS Travs: RHP Dylan Unsworth (1-3, 5.86 ERA); Naturals: LHP Emilio Ogando (1-1, 2.79 ERA)
TICKETS $13 box, $9 reserved ($6 kids), $7 general admission ($5 kids). Gates open one hour before start of game.
PROMOTIONS $1 hot dog night. College students receive $3 off admission with student ID card.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
THURSDAY NW Arkansas, 7:10 p.m.
FRIDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
SATURDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m.
SUNDAY at Tulsa, 1:05 p.m.
MONDAY at Tulsa, 11:05 a.m.
TUESDAY Midland, 7:10 p.m.
Sports on 05/17/2017