Springfield, MO – The Springfield Cardinals extended their season-long six-game winning streak with an 8-3 victory against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals before 3,054 fans at Hammons Field on Tuesday night.
After a pair of scoreless frames from Cardinals RHP Sandy Alcantara (W, 5-5), Springfield (16-9, 51-44) swung out of the scoreless tie with two runs in the bottom of the second. Facing RHP Josh Staumont (L, 0-2), LF Randy Arozarena served as the catalyst with a booming double to right-center field to start the frame. After a single from DH Bruce Caldwell put runners at the corners, C Andrew Knizner chopped an RBI single through the right side, extending his nine-game hitting streak and plating Arozarena. Caldwell raced around to third on the Knizner single, before darting home on an RBI sacrifice fly from 3B Jacob Wilson, doubling the early advantage to 2-0.
The Cardinals kept swinging in the bottom of the third. 2B Darren Seferina started the frame with an infield single, tacking a fifth game on to his hitting streak. 1B John Nogowski joined Seferina on board with a walk, followed by a three-run home run lasered over the left field fence by RF Anthony Garcia, his team-leading 15th long-ball of the year, increasing the Cardinals lead to 5-0.
The Naturals (11-14, 50-45) started chipping away in the top of the fourth inning. 1B Samir Duenez worked a walk to lead off and quickly took second on a base hit from 3B Humberto Arteaga. With two on, RF Anderson Miller pulled an RBI double down the right field side, bringing home Duenez and moving Arteaga to third base. Alcantara, though, worked out of the rest of the inning with no further damage, closing the frame with the Cardinals ahead, 5-1.
Alcantara closes his 5.2 frames on the mound when he gave way to LHP Jacob Evans with two on and two down in the top of the sixth. Evans, making his Double-A debut, promptly induced an inning-ending groundout to navigate Springfield out of the jam.
After Evans posted a 1-2-3 seventh inning, Northwest Arkansas struck against RHP Dailyn Martinez in the eighth. 3B Humberto Arteaga singled to start the stanza, before a two-run home run by Miller brought the Travs within two runs, 5-3.
The Cardinals, though, countered with two home runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth. Arozarena started the frame with a single, followed by a two-run home run to left field from Caldwell. One out later, Wilson belted a solo blast to left field, powering the Cardinals in front by five runs, 8-3.
Martinez then slammed the door with a scoreless top of the ninth, closing the 8-3 win for the Cardinals.
