Naturals succumb to Friday the 13th jinx again

SPRINGDALE – Friday the 13th continues to be unlucky for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

Tulsa rallied past Northwest Arkansas on Friday night, scoring the game’s final four runs for a 5-4 win before 5,933 at Arvest Ballpark.

Tulsa (15-5 second half, 49-41) will go for the series win in the final game of the fourgame series today.

The Naturals (4-15, 39-50) lost for the seventh time in eight games the franchise has played on a Friday the 13th.

Tulsa clubbed three solo homers on Friday, helping the Drillers to rally from a 4-1 deficit after the second inning.

Shortstop Errol Robinson led off the fourth inning with a solo dinger that brought Tulsa within, 4-2.

Drew Jackson slugged a solo shot to lead off the sixth inning. Luke Raley singled with two outs and scored all the way from first, on a very close play at the plate, on a throwing error. Naturals reliever Gabe Speier grabbed a short high hopper and skipped his throw past first baseman Alex Liddi, allowing Raley to tie the game at 4-4.

Wes Darvill, the ninth hitter in Tulsa’s order, belted a solo homer into the right field bullpen to lead off the eighth inning

for the 5-4 lead.

The Naturals scored a single run in the bottom of the first inning to match Tulsa’s first-inning run.

Northwest Arkansas added three runs in the second inning off a two-run homer by Nick Dini and a run-scoring single by Erick Mejia that scored Khalil Lee, who had doubled.

Tulsa starter Andrew Sopko kept the Natural scoreless the next three innings and then reliever Andrew Istler also threw three scoreless innings, allowing a lone single. Dylan Baker needed 12 pitches to close out the win in the bottom of the ninth for the save.

In all, Istler and Baker retired the final 12 Naturals after Corey Toups led off the sixth inning with a single.

SHORT HOPS

■ Tulsa improved to 44-2 when entering the ninth inning with the lead.

■ Naturals hitter Jecksson Flores was called out in the sixth inning when interfering with Tulsa catcher Will Smith’s throw to second on Corey Toups’ steal of second base, and Toups was sent back to first base.

On Deck: The Naturals wrap up the brief four-game home series against Tulsa with lefty Foster Griffin (3-11, 5.99) on the mound today. Dean Kremer (1-0, 0.00) will start for the Drillers. The 22-yearold California-born Kremer, who played collegiately at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, will be making his second start at the Double-A level. He was brilliant on July 5 against Midland, throwing seven shutout innings, allowing three hits, walking three and fanning 11 in his debut. In 16 starts at Class A-Advanced Rancho Cucamonga, he was 5-3 with an earned run average of 3.30 in 16 starters. Griffin will be making his 18th start of the season. He’s lost his last five starts and has allowed 16 earned runs in 232/3 innings in four starts against Tulsa this season.

Tonight’s Promotion: The first 2,000 fans through the gates today will receive a Naturals’ replica home jersey courtesy of Arvest Bank. Gates will open at 4:35 p.m. for the 6:05 game. From 4:35 to 5:35 p.m., in the Bullpen Craft Beer Bar located down the first-base line, fans can enjoy half-price deals on over 100 different alcoholic beverage options for Happy Hour at Arvest Ballpark.

On The Air: KQSM-FM 92.1 On The Web: www.nwanaturals.com