Gentry powers Naturals to home victory over Drillers

SPRINGDALE — Northwest Arkansas exploded for 15 hits and Tyler Gentry continued his stellar stretch of hitting to defeat Tulsa 12-4 on Wednesday night at Arvest Ballpark.

Gentry went 4-for-5 with two runs batted in, including a fourth-inning double to pace the Naturals’ bats. The University of Alabama product was named Texas League Player of the Week by Minor League Baseball on Tuesday after hitting .435 with four home runs and 11 RBIs from June 27 through July 3. “I’m just trying to keep the game as simple as possible,” Gentry said. “I’m just out there trying to wait for a good pitch to put a good swing on.

“It was pretty cool (winning player of the week) having teammates and coaches coming and congratulating me, it’s really nice having some hard work pay off. “

It didn’t take long for the Drillers to put the scoreboard operator to work Wednesday night. Jonny DeLuca gave the game’s first pitch a ride over the left field wall into the visiting bullpen, putting Tulsa (42-33) ahead 1-0.

Northwest Arkansas (3541) responded in the bottom frame. After a leadoff walk followed by a single, Gentry hit an RBI single to left field to score Maikel Garcia.

The Naturals loaded the bases later in the inning, then scored back-to-back runs off consecutive wild pitches from Drillers’ starter Kyle Hurt. One more run was tacked on when Seuly Matias scored Robbie Glendinning off a sacrifice fly, giving Northwest Arkansas a 4-1 advantage after one inning.

DeLuca got Tulsa on the board again in the third when he lined an RBI triple to center field to bring the Drillers within two. After a walk the next at-bat, Kody Hoese shot a line drive double down the third base line to plate another run which shrunk the Naturals’ lead to 4-3.

Tulsa threatened to continue the scoring spree, loading the bases with one out, but Naturals’ starting pitcher Angel Zerpa was able to get out of the jam. He escaped the situation by sprinting to field a grounder with one hand, tossing to home and turning a 1-2-3 double play.

Zerpa finished the game tossing six innings, allowing three runs off five hits to earn the win.

“He didn’t always have his best stuff tonight, and usually throws a lot less pitches than that, but he figured out a way to get through it,” Northwest Arkansas Manager Chris Widger said of Zerpa’s performance.

In the bottom of the third John Rave blasted a 393-foot, two-run homer into right field to put the Naturals ahead 6-3. The bomb was Rave’s ninth of the season, tied for fourthmost on the team. He finished the game batting 2-of-3 with 3 RBI.

“I thought he was more aggressive tonight,” Widger said of Rave. “When he swings it, and he swings at strikes, he is really dangerous. He has as much power as anyone on the team.”

In the fourth inning Gentry hit an RBI double which drove home Garcia. Two atbats later, Logan Porter scored him off a soft line drive to left field to put the Naturals ahead by five. Tucker Bradley grew the lead in the fifth inning off a single to score Sebastian Rivero.

The Naturals extended their lead to 11-3 in the sixth off RBI hits from both Matias and Rave. Tulsa scored a run off an Abiatal Avelino double in the eighth, but the Naturals got it back later in the inning, tacking on another score via a bases loaded walk, en route to winning 12-4.

“It was nice to get an easy one,” Widger said. “They’re not always that easy. It’s nice to get on a little bit of a streak.”

Gentry