TEXAS LEAGUE

Naturals, Travs decide nothing

SPRINGDALE -- The Northwest Arkansas Naturals and Arkansas Travelers decided nothing over the first half of the season.

That is set to change tonight.

The Naturals rallied from a 5-0 deficit and held on in the ninth inning for an 11-10 victory over the Travs at Arvest Ballpark on Monday.

The victory came on the last day of the first half of the schedule and moves the Naturals into a first-place tie with Arkansas in the Texas League's North Division. The winner of tonight's contest in Springdale will be declared champion and earn a spot in the year-end playoffs.

Tulsa could have forced a three-way tie, but the Drillers fell to the Springfield Cardinals 3-2 on Monday.

The Naturals (35-35) were down 5-0 entering the bottom of the fourth inning, but Jecksson Flores and Alex Liddi each hit two-run home runs off Nathan Bannister to cut the Travs' lead to 5-4.

After a Donnie Dewees home run in the fifth tied the game, the Naturals used 4 hits and 2 walks to score 5 runs in the sixth. Erick Mejia delivered the big blow with a bases-loaded triple.

John Brontsema's RBI single in the seventh capped a string of 11 consecutive runs for the Naturals, but the Travs (35-35) were far from done.

Yonathan Mendoza's RBI ground out and Braden Bishop's run-scoring double in the top of the eighth cut the deficit to 11-7.

In the ninth, Joe DeCarlo's three-run home run with two outs pulled the Travs within 11-10, prompting the Naturals to bring in reliever Andres Machado to face Donnie Walton. After taking a first pitch strike, Walton fouled off the next six pitches before drawing his first ball on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. On the ninth pitch, he grounded out to first base to end the game.

Scott Blewett struggled through four innings for the Naturals. He allowed 5 runs on 6 hits while striking out 4. Pedro Fernandez pitched two innings of one-hit relief to earn the victory.

Spencer Herrmann took the loss for Arkansas, allowing three runs on two hits in his only inning of work.

The Naturals will host Arkansas at 7:05 tonight in the third game of the four-game series. Emilio Ogando (4-4, 5.40 ERA) of the Naturals will square off against Arkansas' Johendi Jiminian (3-3, 3.59 ERA).

Today’s game

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS

AT NW ARKANSAS NATURALS

WHEN 7:05 p.m.

WHERE Arvest Ballpark, Springdale

RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas; KQSM-FM, 92.1, in NW Arkansas PITCHERS Travs: RHP Johendi Jiminian (43-3, 3.59 ERA); Naturals: LHP Emilio Ogando (4-3, 5.79 ERA).

TRAVS WEEK AHEAD

TODAY at NW Arkansas, 7:05 p.m.

WEDNESDAY at NW Arkansas, 12:05 p.m. THURSDAY at Springfield, 7:10 p.m. FRIDAY at Springfield, 7:10 p.m. SATURDAY at Springfield, 6:10 p.m. SUNDAY at Springfield, 6:10 p.m. MONDAY Off

NATURALS WEEK AHEAD

TUESDAY vs. Arkansas, 7:05 p.m. WEDNESDAY vs. Arkansas, 12:05 p.m. THURSDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m. FRIDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m. SATURDAY at Tulsa, 7:05 p.m. SUNDAY at Tulsa, 1:05 p.m. MONDAY Off

Sports on 06/19/2018

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