Drillers Pounded By NW Arkansas

For the third straight game, the Drillers were unable to cool off the red-hot Naturals as Tulsa fell 12-3 on Sunday afternoon. Northwest Arkansas starter Jonathan Dziedzic tossed six shutout innings while six Naturals hitters turned in multi-hit performances as the team tied its franchise record winning streak with its eighth straight victory.

Tulsa starter Deck McGuire entered the game with a perfect 4-0 record but it was not enough to slow down Northwest Arkansas. McGuire lasted just three innings, surrendering seven runs and ten hits as he picked up his first loss of the year.

Dziedzic collected his first win of the year as he kept the Drillers off the scoreboard during his time on the mound. Meanwhile, his teammates gave him a large cushion to work with.

After scoring four in the bottom of the first inning, the Naturals kept adding on as they crossed the plate three times in the third, once in the fourth and two times apiece in the sixth and seventh innings.

First baseman Brian Burgamy was one of the few bright spots on the day for the Drillers as he went two-for-three with a walk and a solo home run. Burgamy continued his hot hitting as he launched his fourth home run of the year over the right-center field fence in the eighth to bring the final tally to 12-3.

The Naturals were led at the plate by Balbino Fuenmayor as he went four-for-five with 5 RBI as he and his teammates combined for eighteen total hits. The eighteen hits by the Naturals were the most given up by the Drillers pitching staff this season.

The Drillers and Naturals will wrap up their four-game series Monday morning at Arvest Ballpark with first pitch scheduled for 11:05 a.m Tulsa will send Jeremy Kehrt (1-2, 4.95 ERA) to try and halt the Northwest Arkansas winning streak. He will be opposed by Arkansas native Andy Ferguson (2-0, 0.45 ERA).