MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com-SPRINGDALE,ARKANSAS–The Northwest Arkansas Naturals rallied for four runs in the sixth inning to break a tie game and earn the second consecutive victory over the Arkansas Travelers by a score of 7-3.CodyStrait finished 2-for-4 with the game-winning hit, an RBI single to center in the sixth.The first six Naturals batters reached base in the big inning on three singles and three walks.Hank Conger and Mark Trumbo led the Travelers with two hits apiece.Conger drove in two runs and smacked a solo home run (5).The Travs are 3-4 on their current road trip which wraps up Monday afternoon in Springdale.

Arkansas left hander Barret Browning (L, 0-7) became just the second pitcher to record seven losses in the Texas League in 2009.He was tagged for four runs (two earned) on four base hits and five walks with four strikeouts.Northwest left-handed reliever Gilbert de la Vara (W, 3-1) earned the win in relief of Anthony Lerew with 1.2 innings pitched allowing one run (unearned) on four hits and a walk.Greg Holland (S, 6) pitched two scoreless innings for the save.

As they did the night before, Northwest Arkansas got a two-out base hit in the first inning to take the lead. Kurt Mertins worked a one-out walk from Browning and Ed Lucas placed a bunt on the third-base line for a single.They executed a double steal to put runners at second and third base, and Browning pitched around Jeff Bianchi to load the bases with a four-pitch walk.Wilson hit a hard grounder that got through third baseman Jay Caligiuri towards the shortstop hole scoring two runs.
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Lerew held the Travs without a base hit until Conger deposited the first pitch of the fourth inning into the right-field bullpen to bring them within a 2-1 score.

Leading off the sixth inning, Coby Smith bunted off the third-base line and reached when Lerew threw high and wild to first base for an error.Smith then stole second base (league leading 30^th) and Val Majewski walked with one out.Trumbo floated a fly ball into shallow left that landed in front of a diving Jose Duarte for the game-tying single.Left hander Gilbert de la Vara came to relieve and walked Nate Sutton to load the bases, but Caligiuri bounced to short beginning an inning-ending double play.

Browning came back for the sixth inning but walked Corey Smith then allowed Jeff Bianchi’s single before departing the mound for Fernando Rodriguez, who was unable to retire the three batters he faced.Vance Wilson walked to load the bases, then CodyStrait singled to center to knock in Smith.Rodriguez left the game after issuing a bases-loaded walk to Cody Clark giving the Naturals a 4-2 lead.Jose Duarte’s two-run single off the next reliever Bryan Rembisz capped the inning at four runs and a 6-2 Naturals lead.

The Travs managed an unearned run in the seventh inning thanks to a fielding error by Bianchi on a ground ball to shortstop allowing Hainley Statia to reach base.A single by Flint Wipke moved Statia to second where he scored from on a two-out single to left field by Conger.

Cody Clark blasted a two-out solo home run (4) in the eighth against Bobby Cassevah putting the Naturals back up by four runs, 7-3.

Time of game was 2:45 and the paid attendance was 4,348.

The Travs and Naturals play a 12 noon game on Monday before the start of the Texas League All-Star Break.Arkansas All-Star right hander Tommy Mendoza (5-3, 2.83 ERA) takes the hill, while NWA will announce their starting pitcher tomorrow.

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