Amarillo scores late to get past Naturals

SOD POODLES 9, NATURALS 5

SPRINGDALE — Juan Centeno’s two- run double snapped a 4-4 deadlock in the ninth inning and propelled Amarillo to a 9-5 victory over Northwest Arkansas on Thursday night at Arvest Ballpark.

Centeno lofted the ball to deep left, scoring pinch-runner Nick Dalesandro and Ti’Quan Forbes to make it 6-4. Eduardo Diaz’s bases-loaded triple capped the surge that came at the expense of reliever Zach Willeman.

The Naturals (8-10) scored a run in the bottom of the ninth on Tucker Bradley’s RBI single but got no closer.

Willeman (0-2) entered in the ninth, allowing five runs (all earned) on four hits in one-third of an inning.

“They swung the bats pretty good there against him,” Northwest Arkansas Manager Chris Widger said. “There was probably a couple of times, maybe pitch selection there. But he went after them. He didn’t walk people, and sometimes that’s the way it goes.”

Bradley went 2-for-3 as the Naturals totaled eight hits.

Northwest Arkansas designated hitter Seuly Matias was shaken up and went to the ground for a couple of minutes after a collision with Amarillo first baseman Andy Yerzy on a bang-bang play in the eighth. Matias walked off under his own power.

“We think he’s OK,” Widger said.

“We think it’s in his neck, more of like a football stinger. So we think he’s going to be OK. It’s not a head, concussion-type situation.”

Amarillo finished with 13 hits in front of the announced crowd of 3,100. Forbes went 3- for- 3 with three runs scored.

The Naturals had their chances before the Sod Poodles (10-8) took control.

Michael Massey snapped a 2-2 deadlock with a double to right in the bottom of the fifth, scoring Bradley and Maikel Garcia for a 4-2 Northwest Arkansas advantage.

Amarillo pulled within 4- 3 on Leandro Cedeno’s RBI double in the sixth, but Yerzy was thrown out at the plate on the play. Left fielder Bradley, third baseman Jake Means and catcher Sebastian Rivero completed a beautiful relay to nab Yerzy and end the inning.

Nate Eaton singled and stole second and third, coming home on a throwing error by catcher Centeno for a 2-1 Northwest Arkansas edge after four.

Amarillo’s Blaze Alexander smoked an RBI double to tie it in the fifth.