Red, White, and Blues: Gartrell Home Run Lifts Amarillo to 5-4 Win

Published on July 4, 2015 under American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


AMARILLO, TX - The Wichita Wingnuts and Amarillo Thunderheads were locked in a 4-4 tie at Potter County Memorial Stadium entering the bottom of the ninth inning. Slugger Stefan Gartrell came to the plate with one out and took an Alex Boshers offering out of the park to left center that ended the ballgame and started the Independence Day celebration in Amarillo earlier than expected.

Amarillo (20-22) jumped ahead in the early going off of the Wingnuts' Scott Kuzminsky. Logan Vick led off the bottom of the first with a triple and then scored when a strikeout of Corey Bass ended with the ball going to the backstop, allowing Vick to race home and put the Thunderheads in front 1-0.

Amarillo also added lone runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Rene Leveret started the threat with a two out single. Another single by Geraldo Valentin moved him into scoring position and then Taylor Smart plated the big first baseman with a line drive double to right center. In the next inning, Amarillo was able to put two on base with two outs once again. Gartrell popped a ball high above the field in shallow right. The stiff breeze pushed it back into fair territory where it dropped untouched for a single and made the score 3-0.

The Wingnuts (21-19) had an opportunity to get on the scoreboard in the fifth when John Nester doubled and moved to third with nobody out, but they could not cash in. They did not let another chance slip away in the sixth. David Espinosa and T.J. Mittelstaedt knocked back-to-back doubles to close the gap to 3-1. Starter Anthony Figliolia was removed after walking Joash Brodin in the next at bat. Manager Bobby Brown called on right-hander Billy Petrick. The first batter he faced, Matt Padgett, singled home a run to pull Wichita within a run. The Wingnuts would leave the bases loaded in the frame, unable to cash in with any more runs.

Padgett was also the driving force behind the Wingnuts two-run seventh that put them in front 4-3. Wichita loaded the bases with two outs and Kyle Bellows on the mound. The 18-year veteran smacked a single up the middle that brought in a pair. Padgett finished 2-3 with three RBI.

Daniel Bennett came in to work the bottom of the seventh after Frankie Reed had finished the sixth. He hit Jason Martin with his second pitch of the outing and then watched as Juan Martinez blooped a single into shallow left. Bennett was able to induce Gartrell into a 6-4-3 double play which left a runner third with two outs. Leveret managed to slap a single in the next at bat to tie the score.

The 4-4 tie held into the bottom half of the ninth when Boshers (1-1) made his fourth appearance of the season. Martinez started the frame with a groundout to third to bring Gartrell to the plate. The veteran jumped on the second pitch to bring an end to the contest.

The series will be decided on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. with RHP Omar Bencomo of Wichita facing LHP Ryan Bonnot of Amarillo. 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.

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American Association Stories from July 4, 2015


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