After falling in the series opener on Tuesday, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals bounced back with a 10-4 win against the 1st-Half North Division Champion Springfield Cardinals before 4,326 fans at Hammons Field on Wednesday night.
Rehabbing St. Louis Cardinals RHP Lance Lynn made the start for Springfield, going three inning with no runs on three hits while striking out three. With 48 pitches in the outing, Lynn dealt 30 strikes.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTO GALLERY FROM LANCE LYNN'S START
After a pair of scoreless innings from rehabbing Lynn, Springfield (26-31, 67-60) swung in front in the bottom of the second. Facing RHP Glenn Sparkman, 3B Paul DeJong sparked the rally with a one-out single. 1B Jonathan Rodriguez followed with a base hit, before RF Allen Staton reached on an error to load the bases. C Luis Cruz promptly pulled a two-run single to left field, scoring DeJong and Rodriguez to propel Springfield into the 2-0 lead.
Lynn retoed the rubber in the top of the third and finished his Rehab Start with a third-straight scoreless stanza.
RHP Johnny Walter (L, 0-5) took over on the mound to start the top of the fourth, with the Naturals (30-28, 59-69) getting on the scoreboard. A one-out double from 1B Frank Schwindel got the Naturals bats going, before an RBI base hit from DH Samir Duenez sliced the Northwest Arkansas deficit to 2-1.
Northwest Arkansas rallied for more in the top of the fifth, seizing the lead. After a leadoff single from SS Humberto Arteaga, Walter battled back with consecutive strikeouts. However, 3B Mauricio Ramos was hit by a pitch to extend the stanza initially, before an RBI double by LF Ryan O'Hearn. After a Schwindel walk reloaded the bases, DH Samir Duenez worked an RBI walk to force in Ramos from third for the 3-2 lead. RHP Ronnie Shaban took over on the mound, but C Zane Evans struck with a two-run double, bringing in O'Hearn and Schwindel. A wild pitch brought in the frame's final run, with Duenez darting home from third to make it a 6-2 lead for the Naturals.
The Cardinals started the comeback right away in the bottom of the sixth against LHP Eric Stout. RF Allen Staton led off with a single, before Cruz crunched an RBI triple to right-center field, bringing in Staton to shave the Naturals lead to 6-3. CF Blake Drake and SS Alex Mejia followed with back-to-back free passes, loading the bases with no outs for LF Jacob Wilson. RHP Aroni Nina entered the game and induced a double play ball from Wilson, which did bring in Cruz despite the two outs, bringing the Cardinals within two runs, 6-4.
The Naturals, though, stretched the lead back out in the top of the eighth. With one away, Arteaga singled himself on, before a double from 2B Corey Toups. An RBI sacrifice fly from CF Alfredo Escalera brought in Arteaga, followed by an RBI base hit by Ramos for the 8-4 lead.
Northwest Arkansas tallied two more in the top of the ninth inning. Schwindel led off with a double, and then raced around on an RBI double by Suenez. After Suenez moved to third on a groundout, he came home on an RBI sacrifice fly from RF Logan Moon, accounting for the eventual final score of 10-4.
Click here for the complete box score from Wednesday's game.
