Blasters Clinch Series Victory with Shootout Win over Wingnuts
July 24, 2016 - American Association (AA)
Joplin Blasters News Release
On a night where the Joplin Blasters and the Wichita Wingnuts lit up the scoreboard at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, it was the Blasters that shone just a bit brighter.
The Blasters claimed a 13-12 victory over Wichita on Saturday night in a game that saw runs scored in 14 of the game's 18 half innings. Joplin's win secured a series victory over the first place Wingnuts.
Saturday's scoring began in the bottom of the first, with three runs crossing the plate for the visiting Blasters. A one-out single from Geraldo Valentin started the action, and Valentin remained on first with two outs. Charlie Valerio added an infield single, which led to a two-run double by Brandon Tierney. Tierney scored on a single by Mark Krueger, who hit safely for the sixth consecutive at-bat.
Wichita responded with a run in the bottom of the first on a home run by Brent Clevlen, the 14th of the season for the former Major Leaguer. T.J. Mittelstaedt nearly added another run, but was thrown out at home on a triple.
The Wingnuts then took the lead in the bottom of the second with three more runs. With runners on first and third, a wild pitch from starter Victor Ramirez plated Matt Chavez. Leo Vargas tripled in Richard Prigatano, and Christian Stringer clubbed a go-ahead double that scored Vargas.
Joplin re-took the lead via two Wingnut errors in the top of the third. A leadoff walk to Greyson Bogden and an error off the bat of Charlie Valerio placed runners on first and third with no outs. After a popout, Krueger recorded his seventh hit of the series, an RBI double. KC Huth followed by hitting into a fielder's choice, but the attempted throw home sailed out of play, bringing Valerio and Krueger across the plate for a 6-4 Blaster lead.
Another Wichita home run tied the game at six in the bottom of the third. Mittelstaedt clubbed a two-run homer, his tenth of the season. The longball also scored Clevlen to provide the 6-6 tie after three innings.
Four runs in the top of the fourth gave the Blasters the lead for good. A walk to Mitch Glasser and a single by Valentin set the stage for Valerio, whose single into left put the Blasters back up, 7-6. New pitcher Fabian Roman's first pitch was belted well over the left field wall by Tierney for his first home run as a Blaster. Tierney's second home run- the first came against the Blasters as a member of the Kansas City T-Bones on June 10- provided a 10-6 lead for the visitors.
A pair of runs crossed for the Wingnuts in the bottom of the fourth inning, cutting the Joplin lead to 10-8. Stringer drove in Brent Dean on a groundout, and Zack Cox scored on a two-out double by Clevlen.
The teams traded runs in the fifth inning. Sean Smith belted the second pitch of the inning out of Lawrence-Dumont Stadium for his fourth home run, while Vargas drove in Martin Medina on a groundout.
Wichita pulled within one run in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of two-out hits. Mittelstaedt hit a double, and after a hit batsmen and a wild pitch, was driven by Medina, who recorded his second single of the game.
After the teams each failed to record a run in the seventh, the Blasters went back up by two runs in the top of the eighth. Bogden and Valerio began the inning with singles, and a fielder's choice off the bat of Tierney brought Bogden across the plate. It completed a six-RBI day for Tierney, a career day for the Texas native. A run by the Wingnuts, courtesy of a wild pitch, brought the Joplin lead back to one run entering the ninth inning. During the eighth, Mittelstaedt would single to complete the cycle, the second in seven days for the Wingnuts.
A key insurance run, which would prove to be the game-winner, was plated by the Blasters in the top of the ninth. Smith hit a leadoff single, was moved to second on an Alex Polston sacrifice bunt, and scored on a Glasser single against normally untouchable closer Frankie Reed. Wichita would score an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth, but All-Star Victor Capellan stranded runners on first and second to earn his fourth save.
Alberto Castillo, who tossed an inning of relief for Joplin, picked up his first victory of the season. The former big leaguer defeated Wichita starter Todd Kibby, who took his first loss.
For the second time this season, the Blasters will enter a series finale with the opportunity to sweep the Wingnuts. The final game of the three in Wichita will begin at 1:05 p.m. Sunday at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
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