Nuts Lose Four Run Lead, Fall in Walk-Off Fashion
June 2, 2015 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release
FARGO, ND (June 2, 2015) - The Wichita Wingnuts jumped out to a 4-0 lead and chased Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks starting pitcher Tyler Herron in the fourth inning on Tuesday night at Newman Outdoor Field. None of that was enough to hold off a late surge by the RedHawks as they tied the game in the seventh and then walked off 5-4 in the ninth on Frank Salerno's single up the middle.
Wichita (7-3) opened the scoring in the second inning against Herron. Alberto Gonzalez reached on an infield single to start the inning and shortly afterward stole second base. He came around to score on Brent Dean's sharp double down the left field line to make it 1-0.
The Nuts went right back on the attack in the third inning as David Espinosa reached with a one out single which was followed by back-to-back walks of John Nester and T.J. Mittelstaedt. The bases were loaded at this point for Gonzalez, who also drew a free pass to score a run. Dustin Geiger followed with a sacrifice fly and quickly the lead grew to 3-0. A two-out RBI single by Nester in the fourth increased the lead to 4-0 and ended the night for Herron after just 3.2 innings of work.
Mike Mason, who relieved Herron, was impressive in holding the Wingnuts off the board entirely for 5.1 relief innings. He struck out four while allowing only a walk and two hits. His teammates took back a good chunk of the lead with a three-run fourth inning. Stefan Gartrell started the comeback with a two-strike double to deep center. After fly ball to deep right allowed Gartrell to tag and move to third, Michael Antonio ripped a double of his own to make it 4-1. After a walk to Joe Staley and a strikeout of Charlie Valerio, Omar Bencomo allowed a double by Zach Penprase that trimmed the lead to 4-3.
The RedHawks (4-8) tied it in the eighth courtesy of some help from the Wingnuts defense. Penprase reached on an infield single to the left side of the infield and then was caught by Al Yevoli leaving too early for second. Yevoli's throw to first was on target, but Geiger's throw to second sailed into left field and allowed the speedy runner to move to third. This resulted in a sacrifice fly by Chad Mozingo that evened the score.
In the bottom of the ninth, Valerio and Penprase tallied back-to-back singles off of Brad Mincey with one out. A fielder's choice bouncer by Mozingo left runners on the corners for Frank Salerno. The second baseman grounded the first pitch into center field to plate the winning run.
Jayce Ray threw out his third runner at the plate this season and recorded two hits. Other Wingnuts with multiple knocks were David Espinosa, Gonzalez, and Dean. Daniel Bennett struck out the side in the sixth and has recorded strikeouts against each of the last six batters he has faced. The Nuts left 13 runners on base in the game.
The series will resume with a 7:02 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday night. Wichita will toss LHP Anthony Capra against fellow lefty Austin Kirk of the RedHawks. For information on season tickets, group outings, and party packages, call the Wingnuts' main office at (316) 264-NUTS, or visit the Wingnuts' official website at www.wichitawingnuts.com.
American Association Stories from June 2, 2015
- Nuts Lose Four Run Lead, Fall in Walk-Off Fashion - Wichita Wingnuts
- American Association Game Recaps - AA
- Hits Keep Coming for Lemurs in Victory - Laredo Lemurs
- Canaries Drop Series Opener in Winnipeg - Sioux Falls Canaries
- Canham, Gaston Strong But Dogs Drop Sixth Straight - Lincoln Saltdogs
- Solid Home Debut - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- X's Get 9-8 Victory Over Kansas City - Sioux City Explorers
- American Association Game Recaps - AA
- RedHawks Rally to Win 5-4 over Wichita - Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
- T-Bones Drop 10th Straight - Kansas City Monarchs
- RailCats Make It Five Straight - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Seventh Heaven as Saints Roll to 7-3 Victory over AirHogs - St. Paul Saints
- Hernandez Grabs Pitcher of the Week Award - AA
- Everyone Hits and Scores in Lemurs Win - Laredo Lemurs
- Laredo Overpowers Lashley's Grand Slam - Lincoln Saltdogs
- American Association Game Recaps - AA
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
