TEXAS LEAGUE BASEBALL
CARDINALS 6, TRAVELERS 3
The Springfield Cardinals (3-2) used a four-run fourth inning Tuesday to beat the Arkansas Travelers (2-3) at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
The Cardinals trailed 3-1 going into the fourth inning, getting their lone run to that point on Moises Gomez’s second home run of the season. Trent Tingelstad hit an RBI single in the second inning that scored Connor Hoover, and Jose Caballero and Joe Rizzo hit solo home runs in the third to build the lead for the Travelers. Those would turn out to be the only hits Arkansas would have.
Springfield claimed the lead for good with an RBI groundout by Todd Lott that scored Delvin Perez and Gomez hit his second home run of the game — a three-run shot to left-center field — to put the Cardinals up 5-3. Irving Lopez added an RBI single in the top of the ninth to complete the scoring.
Julio Rodriguez went 3 for 4 for Springfield, which finished with 11 hits, while Matt Koperniak and Gomez had two hits each. Reliever Edgar Escobar (1-0) picked up the victory after allowing 1 walk with 2 strikeouts over 41/3 innings. Starter Garrett Williams went 32/3 innings, allowing all 3 Travs runs — 2 earned — with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. Freddy Pacheco earned his second save of the season after striking out 2 of the 3 batters he faced in his only inning of work.
Reliever Rob Kaminsky (0-1) took the loss for the Travelers after allowing 2 earned runs on 2 hits with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts in only 1 inning of work. Starter Connor Jones allowed 3 earned runs on 4 hits with 6 strikeouts over 3 innings.
NATURALS 8, WIND SURGE 6
Northwest Arkansas started fast, then held off pesky Wichita for a home-opening victory Tuesday night before an announced crowd of 4,032 at Arvest Ballpark.
The Naturals (2-2) erupted for eight first-inning runs and looked ready to roll in the Class AA debut of touted pitching prospect Asa Lacy. But the Wind Surge chipped away, pulling within 8-6 after scoring three runs each in the fourth and fifth.
Lacy, a 6-4, 215-pound left-hander, is ranked by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect for parent-club Kansas City. MLB Pipeline ranks Lacy at No. 72 overall. Despite the early cushion, Lacy never found a groove during his 80-pitch outing. He went 4 innings, allowing 3 runs (all earned) on 1 hit. Lacy struck out 6, walked 3 and hit 2 batters.
Lefty Dante Biasi replaced Lacy in the fifth with an 8-3 edge and promptly gave up three runs. But with the bases loaded and Wichita (0-4) threatening to seize the lead, Biasi got a groundout to escape the jam.
Biasi (1-0) was the winner, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, fanning 4 and walking 2.
Andres Sotillet recorded the save, striking out three in two innings of one-hit relief.
Wichita starter Brandon Lawson didn’t get out of the first inning, failing to retire any of the eight batters he faced. The Naturals had six hits in the frame, the biggest a three-run double to left by first baseman Jake Means that gave Northwest Arkansas a 7-0 lead. Nick Loftin, Michael Massey and Nathan Eaton each added an RBI in the rally.
Loftin went 2 for 5 as the Naturals finished with eight hits.