Springdale, AR – 1B Luke Voit hit his 13th home run of the season, but the Northwest Arkansas Naturals claimed the 6-1 win against the 1st-Half North Division Champion Springfield Cardinals before 3,780 fans at Arvest Ballpark on Wednesday night.
The Naturals (11-8, 40-49) came out swinging with two early runs against RHP Luke Weaver (L, 4-2) in the bottom of the first. CF Terrance Gore and 2B Corey Toups both singled to start the inning with two on, before DH Frank Schwindel drove a two-run double to swing the Naturals into the 2-0 lead. The two tallies snapped what had been a 19-inning streak without an earned run allowed by Weaver.
After striking out the side to work out of the first, Weaver dug in with scoreless work and three more strikeouts through the second and third, before Springfield (8-10, 49-39) got on the board in the top of the fourth. After LHP Eric Skoglund (W, 6-6) retired the frame's first two batters, 1B Luke Voit launched a solo home run to right field, bringing Springfield within one run, 2-1.
Weaver dealt his seventh strikeout in a scoreless bottom of the fourth, but the Naturals stretched the lead back out in the fifth. Gore led off with a double, before motoring home on an RBI single from Toups, who took second on a fielding error by LF Nick Martini on the play. One out later, 1B Ryan O'Hearn pulled an RBI single through the right side, plating Toups from second base for the 4-1 lead for the Naturals.
Northwest Arkansas added two more tallies in the bottom of the sixth. C Cam Gallagher started the frame with a double, before Weaver battled back to strike out SS Humberto Arteaga, the final batter of Weaver's night. RHP Heath Wyatt took over on the mound and induced a fielder's choice from RF Logan Moon that retired Gallagher at third base. With Moon at first and two away, LF Carlos Garcia powered a two-run home run to right field, striking with two outs to increase the Naturals lead to 6-1.
Wyatt went on to retire the next seven batters that he faced, providing perfect relief after the long-ball. However, after Skolgund carried the Naturals through seven one-run innings, RHP Evan Beal followed with a pair of scoreless stanzas out of the bullpen to close the 6-1 win for the Naturals.
