SPRINGDALE, AR – Luke Pelzer had three hits in his Double-A debut and Hunter Patteson spun a quality start in the Northwest Arkansas Naturals’ (10-12, 39-50) 6-2 win over the Springfield Cardinals (13-9, 45-45) on Tuesday night at Arvest Ballpark. The Naturals continue their six-game set against the Cardinals on Wednesday, with first pitch at 7:05 PM CT.
Northwest Arkansas got the scoring started in the opening frame with Sam Kulasingam’s two-run double to right. The switch hitter drove in Carson Roccaforte and Pelzer to give the Naturals a 2-0 lead, which they carried into the fourth inning. Pelzer went 3-for-4 with three singles in his Double-A debut.
Springfield plated a run in the fourth – the only run Patteson (5-4) allowed over six frames. The southpaw dealt at least 5.0 innings for an eighth consecutive start. Patteson issued one walk and tied his season high with eight strikeouts.
Canyon Brown came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth, and drove in all three runners with a triple to give his team a 5-1 advantage. The Naturals scored on a wild pitch in the eighth, and relievers Oscar Rayo and Zachary Cawyer finished off the 6-2 victory.
The Naturals face the Cardinals in the second game of the six-game series on Wednesday at 7:05 PM CT. Fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs, $5 12 oz. cans of Scarlett Letter and Baseball Bingo. 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.