RockHounds roll by Nats, take series

ROCKHOUNDS 4, NATURALS 0

SPRINGDALE — Midland took advantage of a couple of Northwest Arkansas errors in a 4- 0 win to finish off the season-opening three- game homestand Saturday at Arvest Ballpark.

The Naturals were limited to two singles by four RockHounds pitchers. Midland starter Ryan Cusick allowed 1 hit over 3 2/3 innings and struck out 4. Reliever David Leal (1-0) picked up the win, allowing no runs on one hit in 2 1/3 innings.

The RockHounds broke on top 1- 0 thanks to Michael Guldberg’s two- out, run-scoring single to right in the top of the second. Midland added two more unearned runs in the top of the sixth. Greg Deichmann and Cooper Bowman both singled and they scored on a throwing error by third baseman Robbie Glendinning for a 3-0 Midland lead.

Bowman walked, stole second and third with one out in the eighth. He scored on another error by Glendinning to make it 4-0 in the top of the eighth.

Naturals Manager Tommy Shields said he’s not that worried about the lack of offense. He is also pleased with the pitching overall.

“We hit about seven balls hard and didn’t get anything out of it,” Shields said. “They made some great plays. The offense will come around. I’m not worried about that. It’s early. They’ll swing it. We didn’t get much today, but that’s the way it goes.

“I thought the guys threw the ball fine. We didn’t give up many hits. You can live with that any day of the week. You can’t take too much from the first three. We need to do a better job controlling the running game. Our guys who can run haven’t been getting on base. I think we have very good arms down there. I think we’re going to have to catch the ball and the bats will come around.”

Midland also threatened in the top of the first as Deichmann, who accounted for two of the RockHounds’ six hits and matched the Naturals’ total output, slapped a two-out double to put runners at second and third with two outs. But Naturals starter Andrew Hoffman struck out Bowman on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning.

Northwest Arkansas put two runners on with one out in the bottom of the second, but Jeison Guzman struck out and catcher Luca Tresh was thrown out trying to steal third to end the threat.

The Naturals loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth thanks to three walks by Midland starter Ryan Cusick. But reliever Leal came on to strike out Jeison Guzman on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning.

Midland threatened again in the fifth as lead-off man Max Schuemann walked and went from first to third on a wild pitch by reliever Yefri Del Rosario. But he struck out Lawrence Butler and got Brett Harris to ground out to leave him at third.

Naturals starter Andrew Hoffman (0-1) took the loss allowing a run on three hits over four innings. Hoffman was sent to Kansas City in a trade from Atlanta in 2022. He and two others were sent to Kansas City for the 35th pick in the 2022 first-year player draft.

The Naturals start a sixgame road series at Wichita on Tuesday, but they return to Arvest Ballpark a week later on Tuesday, April 18 for a six-game home series against Amarillo. Midland hosts Tulsa for six games, then heads to Springfield for six. The Naturals don’t play the RockHounds again this season.