Northwest Arkansas loses on play at the plate

Class AA Northwest Arkansas was on the wrong end of a fantastic finish Monday night as it lost 8-7 on Monday at Midland, Texas.

Down by two runs, Jorge Bonifacio drew a one-out walk in the ninth. After an out, Jared Schlehuber reached on a two-base error as Bonifacio took third. Mark Threlkeld then singled home Bonifacio but Schlehuber was thrown out at the plate to end the game.

After pitching a scoreless sixth inning, Noel Arguelles took the mound in the seventh with a 6-3 lead. The left-hander gave up a single and struck out a batter. Then the wheels came off as Arguelles walked a batter, threw a wild pitch and a batter reached on an error. After a single cut the lead to 6-5, Angel Baez relieved Arguelles, who has a 21.60 ERA after two games.

Baez, too, struggled. He got a strikeout, then threw a wild pitch before allowing a two-run double. Midland got an RBI single and took an 8-6 lead.

Second baseman Justin Trapp had three hits, including a double, and two RBIs.

Brett Tomko allowed one run in six innings and Johnny Giavotella had three hits as Class AAA Omaha beat Memphis 3-2. Tomko gave up four hits, walked three and struck out two. Corey Wade allowed a run in the seventh and Spencer Patton struck out three in two innings of one-hit ball for his first save. First baseman Matt Fields hit a solo homer and Giavotella had two doubles among his three hits.

This story was originally published April 8, 2014 at 10:13 AM with the headline "Northwest Arkansas loses on play at the plate."