SPRINGDALE -- Northwest Arkansas had only four hits Saturday night and really didn't need them in order to pick up a win.
The Naturals used three straight bases-loaded walks and a sacrifice fly to build an early lead and went on to end a three-game losing skid against the Arkansas Travelers with a 9-0 victory at Arvest Ballpark in a game that started almost 1 1/2 hours late because of a rain delay.
Northwest Arkansas (30-31), which played its second straight game using their alternate "Growlin' Chicken" mascot, drew five consecutive walks from Arkansas starter Connor Jones (4-4), who failed to get an out in the second inning. Jones had hit Logan Porter with his first pitch of the inning, then proceeded to throw 20 of his next 24 pitches out of the strike zone.
John Rave walked on five pitches, and Robbie Glendinning worked a count full before he walked to load the bases. Sebastian Rivero, Jake Means and Tucker Bradley then drove in a run apiece when they drew walks and chased Jones.
Ben Onyshko relieved Jones and gave up a line-drive sacrifice fly to Maikel Garcia to make it 4-0. One out later, Tyler Gentry picked up the Naturals' first hit when he belted a three-run home run -- his second since joining the team Tuesday -- to make it 7-0.
That was more than enough run support for Northwest Arkansas as starter Angel Zerpa and two relievers combined on a four-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts. Zerpa, making his first Naturals start in two weeks, threw 4 1/3 innings before he gave way to relievers Will Klein and Jonah Dipoto.
Zerpa, who returned to the team last Sunday after a brief tenure at Kansas City, also faced a bases-loaded situation in the second but escaped with no damage done. He allowed a one-out single to Cade Marlow and walks to Riley Unroe and Tanner Kirwer but ended the inning striking out Kaden Polcovich.
Gentry's home run was Northwest Arkansas' only hit until the seventh when he doubled into right center and drove in Nick Loftin, who had led off the inning with the Naturals' ninth walk of the game. Gentry later scored the final run on a fielder's choice by Glendinning.
Klein pitched 2 2/3 innings to pick up the win and allowed 1 hit while recording 4 strikeouts, and Dipoto allowed just 1 hit and struck out 2 in his 2 innings of work.