TL Wichita Wind Surge

Wichita Picks up Big Win in Game Five against Tulsa

Published on August 30, 2021 under Texas League (TL)
Wichita Wind Surge News Release


WICHITA, KS - Looking to snap a three-game skid, the Wind Surge offense fired off 13 runs and 11 hits to win a much-needed game five against the Drillers. Though Tulsa leads the Propeller Series by one, Wichita can still win the trophy with a win tomorrow and force the tiebreaker rules to come into play.

During the previous three games against the Drillers, the Wind Surge offense struggled as well. In the last three games before tonight, the Wind Surge were batting a league low .120 and only crossed the plate 5 times. That all changed tonight as they crushed the ball all over the yard.

The Wind Surge scored 12 runs over the first five innings to take the Drillers out of the game early on. In the second inning, Leobaldo Cabrera opened the scoring with a two-run blast to left field for his eighth home run of the year.

Most of the Surge runs were scored in the bottom of the third as six Wichita baserunners crossed home plate for an 8-1 lead through three innings. Austin Martin picked up his first RBI of the evening with a soft, dying fly ball that dropped in front of the right fielder and allowed Chris Williams to sprint home from second. Roy Morales followed up Martin with his 29th RBI of the season scoring Spencer Steer from second with a line drive to right. Jermaine Palacios grounded to the shortstop looking to turn a double play. Miguel Vargas tried to throw out Palacios at first to complete the play but overthrew first base for a throwing error. Austin Martin scored from third while the play was going on. The missed double play came back to bite the Drillers in the next at-bat. Andrew Bechtold took an 0-1 pitch and crushed it to left field for a three-run home run. Bechtold's 16th of the year traveled 433 feet and fired off his bat at 103 miles per hour, pushing the Wind Surge lead to seven runs and capping a six-run inning for Wichita.

After a Jermaine Palacios sacrifice fly added a run in the fourth, the Surge pushed another three runs home in the fifth. Spencer Steer hit a deep shot to center field for his eighth double of the season and driving in Williams. Austin Martin continued the theme of powerful home runs with his second in a Wind Surge uniform. Martin took the first pitch he saw and bombed a two-run long ball to left field and Wichita plated their 11th and 12th runs of the night in the fifth.

The Drillers put up two runs in the seventh and a run in the eighth to cut into the Surge lead, but Spencer Steer tallied one more for the home team with a line drive home run in the eighth. Steer fired his 13th home run of the season at 106 miles per hour and crushed it 403 feet for the 13th and final run for Wichita.

Cole Sands only gave up one run, but his pitch count was getting high as he only threw 3.0 innings in his 14th start of the year. Sands surrendered six hits and struck out three on the start.

Kody Funderburk pitched 2.0 innings and picked up the win tonight. Funderburk allowed no runs and no hits and struck out four in his outing.

NOTES: Spencer Steer tied his own record that he set back on July 27th at Northwest Arkansas with 4 runs scored tonight.

COMING UP: Wichita will play the final game of the series against the Tulsa Drillers tomorrow afternoon (8/29). First pitch is set for 1:05 pm from Riverfront Stadium. Wichita will start RHP Austin Schulfer (5-7, 4.22 ERA) tomorrow. Tulsa's starter is still to be determined. RADIO/TV: KGSO 1410 AM and 93.9 FM, MiLB.TV and Windsurge.com.

Check out the Wichita Wind Surge Statistics

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