The Northwest Arkansas Naturals claimed the North Division Championship, 3-games-to-1, with a 3-2 walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 4 against the Springfield Cardinals. The Naturals advance to the Texas League Championship Series for the second straight season.
Cardinals LHP Austin Gomber and Naturals RHP Josh Staumont dueled back and forth through three scoreless innings apiece, before both sides broke through in the fourth. The Cardinals struck first in the top of the inning, with the rally started by a one-out single from LF Luke Voit. Voit raced to third on a double from 1B Jacob Wilson, putting two on with one out. After a strikeout dealt by Staumont and a walk drawn by 2B Alex Mejia, DH Bruce Caldwell came up with the bases loaded and two away. Caldwell came through with an RBI single to right field, plating Voit for the 1-0 lead for Springfield.
The Naturals came right back against Gomber in the bottom of the fourth. Leading off the inning, LF Ryan O'Hearn slugged a solo shot to left field, squaring the score at 1-1.
Gomber kept it tied by striking out the next three batters after the O'Hearn homer, striking out the side for the second straight inning. The southpaw started the fifth, but exited with one on and one down as RHP Trey Nielsen took over. Nielsen walked his first batter but then dealt consecutive strikeouts, getting the Cardinals out of the fifth with the game still tied, 1-1.
The Cardinals then powered in front in the top of the sixth. With two down and nobody on, 3B Paul DeJong lined a solo home run to right field, propelling the Cardinals back in front, 2-1.
Nielsen followed with a scoreless sixth inning, but the Naturals tied it in the bottom of the seventh. C Cam Gallagher reached on an infield single to start the stanza. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from SS Humberto Arteaga, before scoring on an RBI double by RF Logan Moon for the 2-2 tie.
The tie remained intact until the bottom of the 10th when the Naturals put together one final charge. Facing RHP Josh Lucas, O'Hearn worked a walk to open the inning. He took second on a passed ball charged to C Luis Cruz, before advancing to third on a groundout. The Cardinals intentionally walked DH Samir Duenez, bringing up C Cam Gallagher with runners at the corners and one away. Gallagher laid down a squeeze bunt to first base and O'Hearn slid home an instant before Cruz's tag, sending the Naturals to the 3-2 walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th and the North Division Championship, 3-games-to-1.
