SPRINGDALE -- Jake Scheiner went 3-for-4 and drove in six runs as Arkansas thrashed Northwest Arkansas 18-3 on Thursday at Arvest Ballpark.
It was a night to forget for the Naturals, who issued 11 walks, committed 5 errors, used 5 pitchers and dropped to 29-30.
The announced crowd of 3,249 saw the Travelers (33-27) end the suspense early, scoring two in the first inning, four in the second and seven in the third. It was 13-1 after three innings. Jack Larsen (3-for-5) added five RBI, and Zach DeLoach belted a two-run homer for Arkansas, which finished with 13 hits.
After a scoreless fourth, the Travelers tacked on three more in the fifth for a 16-1 advantage and posted two runs in the seventh.
The Naturals, held to seven hits, got a solo homer from Tyler Gentry in the second and scored twice in the seventh.
Arkansas has taken two of the first three in the six-game series.
Aside from a couple of nice catches by fans, there was little for the home folks to cheer about. Scheiner's three-RBI double highlighted the seven-run third as the Travelers batted around and breezed to their 13-1 cushion.
Larsen's bases-clearing triple made it 5-0 in the second and chased Naturals starter and loser Zack Phillips (1-2). Reliever Christian Cosby entered and allowed a sacrifice fly that scored Larsen and padded the lead to 6-0.
Gentry's shot to center pulled the Naturals within 6-1.
Phillips threw 59 pitches and yielded 6 runs and 5 hits in one inning as his ERA rose to 7.68.
The Travelers went up 2-0 in the first on Scheiner's two-run double and had the bases loaded with two outs. Gentry's running catch in right ended the threat and kept it close for the moment.
Emerson Hancock (1-2) got the win, allowing 1 run and 3 hits in 5 innings.