SPRINGDALE, AR - A Spencer Nivens triple spearheaded Northwest Arkansas' five-run seventh Thursday night as the Naturals, snapping a seven-game skid, rallied to edge Corpus Christi, 5-4, at Arvest Ballpark.
Hooks hurlers did not permit a hit until the sixth, with Cole Hertzler retiring 12 of 14 batters over four shutout innings of work. Hertzler, a 5th-round pick in 2024 from Liberty University, has a 1.56 ERA in four Double-A assignments. He threw 27 of 44 pitches for strikes Thursday.
Jose Guedez picked up where Hertzler left off by pitching a 1-2-3 fifth.
Carson Roccaforte accounted for the first Northwest Arkansas knock with a one-out base hit to right in sixth. Jack Dashwood promptly picked him off as the CC lefty faced only three batters in the sixth.
The Hooks carried a 2-0 lead for much of the night. Doubles by Drew Brutcher and Will Bush, along with a Naturals error, paved the way to a first-inning run.
Max Holy lifted off in the second, depositing his fifth Texas League home run, second on the road trip, over the fence in center field.
The Naturals came to life in the seventh, sending nine men to bat for a 5-2 lead. Alberto Rodriguez capped the rally with a homer to right on an 0-2 pitch from Julio Rodriguez.
Corpus Christi's answered with a pair in the eighth to make it a one-run game. Jax Biggers and Bush notched singles in the rally with Brutcher and Trevor Austin drawing walks. Bush, batting .545 with seven RBIs in three games on the series, drove in both runs with his two-out hit into center.