SPRINGDALE, AR – The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (11-15, 40-53) lost 3-0 to the Springfield Cardinals (16-10, 47-47) on Saturday night at Arvest Ballpark to get shut out for the second consecutive game. The Naturals conclude their six-game set against the Cardinals on Sunday, with first pitch at 2:05 PM CT.
Springfield scored in the opening frame, and the Naturals threatened by loading the bases in the second inning. Daniel Vázquez walked and Omar Hernandez singled to put three men on base, but Northwest Arkansas failed to score.
The Cardinals tacked on in the fifth and sixth to take a 3-0 lead. NWA had back-to-back baserunners in both the seventh and ninth, with Jorge Alfaro and Hernandez reaching in both frames. The Naturals stranded both righties in each inning. Reliever Oscar Rayo dealt three scoreless innings, but the Nats fell in the penultimate game of the week, 3-0.
The Naturals face the Cardinals in the final game of the six-game series on Sunday at 2:05 PM CT. Fans 12 and younger will receive a voucher for FREE Kids Snack as they enter the gates and kids can run the bases after the game. Fans can get their tickets at NWANaturals.com for the remainder of the series.
As always, fans can follow along through the Naturals' TV broadcast, available with a subscription to MLB.tv or the MiLB App and for free through the Bally Live Sports App. Additionally, you can listen to the radio call with the "Voice of the Naturals", Shawn Murnin, all season long on the MiLB app and NWANaturals.com.