Naturals’ return cut short by rain
Posted on Friday, July 4, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/230471/
SPRINGDALE — N orthwest Arkansas’ three-game winning streak is on hold after Thursday’s game against the San Antonio Missions was suspended because of rain.
The suspended game will resume at 5: 05 p. m. today with the teams tied 5-5 and the Naturals coming to bat in the seventh inning. Fans with tickets from Thursday’s night game will be allowed back in before the stadium is cleared for a scheduled nine-inning game beginning at 7 p. m.
Northwest Arkansas (5-7 ) is eager to begin a six-game homestand after taking three consecutive games at Corpus Christi. The Missions (8-4 ) jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the Naturals fought back to take a 5-4 lead. San Antonio tied it again when Jose Lobaton hit a home run in the top of the seventh.
Many in the crowd of 6, 871 began to stream out of Arvest Ballpark after heavy rains hit the area at about 8: 40 p. m. The first indication of severe weather came when the ballpark lights went out during the seventh-inning stretch.
Ovandy Suero hit a two-run home run for the Naturals while Kyle Blanks and Jose Lobaton hit home runs for the Missions.
Northwest Arkansas starter Julio Pimentel got through six innings after Kyle Blanks hit a long three-run home run off him in the first inning. Pimentel allowed nine hits and five runs before being relived by Chris Nicoll.
“[Pimentel ] has had trouble in the first inning a lot, then he settles down,” Northwest Arkansas Manager Brian Poldberg said. “We’ve got to get him to be more prepared or something to get him through that first inning.”
Pimentel, who had lost his four previous starts, benefited from the play of Suero, who tied the game 4-4 with a two-run home run in the fourth inning and then threw a San Antonio runner out at the plate in the fifth. The Missions had two runners on base when Jon Schemmel, a. 189 hitter, singled past shortstop into left field. Suero fielded the ball quickly and threw home on the fly to catcher Adam Donachie, who applied the tag on Craig Cooper.
Northwest Arkansas pulled to within 3-2 in the fourth when Pimentel opened the inning by walking Mike Baxter on four pitches and hitting Seth Johnston with a pitch. The Missions scored on a groundout, and their final run against Pimentel came in the seventh when Lobaton hit a home run to tie the game 5-5.