The Arkansas Travelers continued their hot start to the second half of the Texas League season, completing a three-game sweep of the Midland RockHounds with a 4-3 victory Monday in front of an announced crowd of 3,344 at Security Bank Ballpark in Midland, Texas.
The Travelers, who return to Dickey Stephens Park in North Little Rock to play Frisco, won the final five games ona road trip that that started with a loss at Frisco.
Arkansas jumped out to an early lead Monday, utilizing six shutout innings from left-hander Nate Smith, and held on.
The Travelers scored three in the third on Maikol Gonzalez's RBI double and a two-run single by Kaleb Cowart.
Arkansas made it 4-0 in the fifth when Kyle Hudson scored on a wild pitch after reaching first and ending up at second on a throwing error by Midland shortstop Addison Russell. Hudson moved to third on a groundout.
Smith (4-1) allowed 3 hits in 6 innings while throwing 94 pitches to get the victory despite walking 5 batters and striking out 4.
But Carmine Giardina, coming on in relief of Smith, let Midland back in the game.
Conner Crumbliss tripled down the right-field line to score Chad Oberacker, who singled, and Blake Forsythe, who walked. Billy Burns' groundout scored Crumbliss. Russell singled to left-center field to prolong the rally, but Max Muncy grounded out to end the inning.
The RockHounds had one more chance in the eighth when Hiroyuki Nakajima walked. Nakajima was replaced by pinch runner D'Arby Myers, who moved to second on Dusty Coleman's bunt, but Oberacker lined out to left fielder Drew Heid to end the inning.
Cam Bedrosian picked up his 10th save by retiring Midland 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth.
Drew Granier (4-4) took the loss, giving up 4 runs -- 2 earned -- in 5 innings.
Sports on 07/01/2014