Wade Kirkland ... the New King of Late Night
August 13, 2015 - Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release
Midland RockHounds Celebrate Wade Kirkland's Walk-Off Home Run
(Midland RockHounds, Credit: Frank Longobardo / Midland RockHounds)
Four hours, fifteen minutes into Wednesday night's game at Security Bank Ballpark, Wade Kirkland was at the plate with a 2-2 count, one man on and two out in the last of the fourteenth inning, with the RockHounds trailing, 4-3. Here's what led up to that point:
The RockHounds and Springfield opened the game with six scoreless innings behind starters Chris Jensen (RockHounds) and Kyle Hald
Springfield broke the tie with an unearned run on a passed ball In the top of the seventh, but Anthony Aliotti ripped a three-run home run in the last of the seventh, giving the 'Hounds a 3-1 lead they would carry into the ninth Â
Patrick Wisdom tied the game with a two-run home run in the top of the ninth
Relievers Kurt Heyer, Ronnie Shaban and Joey Donofrio (Springfield) and Omar Duran ('Hounds) combined to pitch eight scoreless innings, with each team missing a great scoring chance in the eleventh inning (both clubs had two men on)
The RockHounds turned to (catcher) Beau Taylor to pitch in the fourteenth and, while he gave up a run, the Cardinals scored just once, thanks in part to Matt Olson snaring a line drive down the right field line off the bat of Nick Martini to end the inning Â
Donofrio then took the 4-3 lead into the last of the fourteenth, but Aliotti sent another deep drive to right, this one narrowly staying in the ballpark for a one-out double
Aliotti moved to third on the second out of the inning and Kirkland, after getting ahead in the count, 2-0, faced a 2-2 pitch with two out
Four hours, sixteen minutes into Wednesday night's game at Security Bank Ballpark, Wade Kirkland was flying into a sea of his teammates at home plate, being doused and mobbed, after hitting a walk-off home run in a 5-4 win over the Cardinals.
Wade might be considered the "unusual suspect," for such heroics, but a 2-for-6 night extended his hit streak to five games, a span in which the RockHounds infielder is 11-for-24 (.458) with two home runs and nine RBI (he's also hitting .424 in his last eight games). Wade's season has already included a seven RBI game (May 9) against Frisco and, depending on where the RockHounds' road leads from here, he added a signature ... storybook ... Hollywood ... (insert your favorite cliché here) ... moment in the late night hours Wednesday night at Rocky Town.
The RockHounds
... are 31-15 in the second half and 66-50 overall (a new season high at 16 games over .500) ... have won four-in-a-row and 6-of-7 ... beginning with the 26-games-in-26 days (July 15-August 9), are 20-8 in their last 28 ... are now 3-5 against the Cardinals (3-2 at Security Bank Ballpark and 0-3 at Hammons Field) ... are 37-21 at Security Bank Ballpark and 28-29 on the road ... are 45-33 vs. the South Division and 20-17 vs. the North.
- The South Shall (Did) Rise Again: All four South Division teams posted wins on the second night of cross-division play, meaning the standings are unchanged in both the North and South. The RockHounds' lead over Corpus Christi (26-20) remains at five games, with Frisco (21-24) staying 9.5 games back and San Antonio (20-26) trailing the 'Hounds by 11 games (with 24 games remaining).
Kibbles & Bits
STAT OF THE DAY: Entering Wednesday's game, the RockHounds were 54-0 when leading after eight innings. Thanks to the "new king of late night," that mark is now (exhale here) 55-0.
- Chad Pinder (1-for-6) extended his hit streak to 15 games (he has hit in 33-of-34 games) ... Ryon Healy (1-for-6) has hit in 12 straight games ... Bruce Maxwell (2-for-6) has hit in six straight and reached base in 12 ... and Anthony Aliotti has hit in three straight (7-for-15, HR, 5 RBI).
Images from this story
 Midland RockHounds Celebrate Wade Kirkland's Walk-Off Home Run (Frank Longobardo / Midland RockHounds) |
Texas League Stories from August 13, 2015
- Drillers Rally Late to Take Series Finale - Frisco RoughRiders
- RockHounds Close Series in Midland with Thursday Night Win - Springfield Cardinals
- Three-Run Fourth Propels Naturals to Series Finale Win - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- First-Ever Capes and Tiaras Ticket Package Available Now - Springfield Cardinals
- Wade Kirkland ... the New King of Late Night - Midland RockHounds
- RockHounds Come Back for Walk-Off 5-4 Win in 14 Innings - Springfield Cardinals
- Hooks Top Travs - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Travs Drop Seventh Straight on Wednesday - Arkansas Travelers
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