Chris Newell hit a two-run home run in the top of the 11th inning and lifted Tulsa to a 7-5 victory over Northwest Arkansas on Saturday evening at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale. The win sends the Tulsa Drillers to a record of 45-23, while the Northwest Arkansas Naturals fall to 29-37. It took 11 innings to decide the outcome at the home of the Naturals—a team perennially battling for a playoff spot in the second half. The game turned twice in the final two innings, starting with Tulsa’s rally in the top of the ninth. Tulsa, down by four runs, cut the deficit to one with back-to-back home runs. Jake Gelof hit a three-run shot to right field, and Newell followed with a solo blast of his own. The two runs in the ninth knotted the score at 5-5 and set the stage for Newell’s final heroics.
Northwest Arkansas had briefly taken control in the bottom of the seventh. After Jack Pineda led off with a double, an error on the basepaths allowed him to score. Justin Johnson drove in a run with a double, and Colton Becker added another insurance run with an RBI double, giving the Naturals a 3-0 advantage.
The Naturals starting pitcher, Drew Beam, set down 16 consecutive hitters during one stretch but left with the 3-0 lead. He allowed one run on two hits over 7 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking one.
Tulsa made the Naturals pay in the sixth, capitalizing on a throwing error by Omar Hernandez on a sacrifice bunt to snap a scoreless streak. Tulsa starter Jake Eder allowed four runs on nine hits with 10 strikeouts over six innings.
The tension in the 11th marked the next chapter in this late-night affair. Northwest Arkansas put the tying runs in scoring position in the bottom of the frame, but the rally fizzled. Colton Becker popped out to end the threat, and Sam Kulasingam struck out looking to seal the deal. It was an exhausting finish for
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
