Merrifield makes difference in debut

SPRINGDALE — Whit Merrifield made a good impression in his first game with Northwest Arkansas.

Merrifield hit a home run, a double and scored the winning run as the Naturals defeated Midland 5- 4 on Wednesday before a crowd of 3,291 at Arvest Ballpark.

Northwest Arkansas rallied from a 3-0 deficit and won the game in the ninth inning with a two-out, RBI single up the middle by Manny Pina, who was one of five Naturals players with two hits.

Merrifield, who was promoted from Class A Wilmington on Tuesday, hit a home run in the fifth and scored the winning run after lining a one-out double down the leftfield line. Ryan Dennick (6-4) earned the victory in relief for Northwest Arkansas (15-30).

“Offensively, the guys have been getting better and it was nice to see their efforts result in a victory,” Northwest Arkansas Manager Brian Poldberg said.

Merrifield started at second base and made an immediate impact after taking over the roster spot vacated by shortstop Christian Colon, who was called up to Class AAA Omaha on Tuesday. Merrifield went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored after arriving from Wilmington on Wednesday.

“I landed at the airport at 12:45 in the afternoon, threw my bags in the back of Brian Fletcher’s car and came straight to the ballpark,” said Merrifield, who hit .259 with eight home runs at Wilmington. “It was a good debut for me and a good win for our team.”

Northwest Arkansas rallied to tie the game at 4- 4 with two runs in the eighth. Pina and Rey Navarro had RBI singles in the inning for the Naturals, who outhit the RockHounds 12-10.

Jeremy Barfield hit his 10th home run for Midland (19-25) while former Vanderbilt standout Sonny Gray held the Naturals to 2 runs and 7 hits in 7 innings. Northwest Arkansas began its comeback against Gary Daley, a former starter, who allowed 3 hits and 2 runs in 1 inning.

Midland took an early lead on an RBI single by David Freitas in the first inning and a home run by Barfield in the second off Michael Mariot, who allowed 9 hits and 4 runs in 4 innings. Josh Horton and Dusty Coleman delivered doubles in the fourth inning to put the RockHounds ahead 3-0.

Northwest Arkansas scored its first run in the bottom of the fourth after Gray hit Kevin Kouzmanoff with a pitch and walked Pina. Carlo Testa dumped an RBI single down the right-field line, but he was tagged out between first and second after the lead runner initially held up.

Gray then escaped with only one run when Conner Crumbliss took an extra-base hit away from Navarro with a diving catch down the line in left field to end the inning.