Wingnuts Lose Early Advantage, Fall 5-4 in 11 Innings
August 16, 2015 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release
LAREDO, TX - The Wichita Wingnuts owned a 4-1 advantage halfway through Saturday night's contest at Uni-Trade Stadium in Laredo. Two home runs and a bases loaded walk eventually evened the score and led to extra innings. After Wichita went scoreless in the top of the 11th frame with a runner beginning at second base, Laredo used a bunt and Jeudy Valdez single down the line to win in walk-off fashion 5-4. The Wingnuts fell to 0-3 in games that have lasted longer than ten innings and put the international rule into effect.
Wichita (47-32) jumped in front early against Lemurs' starter Luis Pollorena. Jayce Ray started the game off with a single and moved to second on David Espinosa's walk. After consecutive fly outs, Matt Padgett cashed in on the opportunity by doubling into the left field corner to score Ray and put the Wingnuts on top 1-0.
The lead was extended by a run in both the third and fourth innings. Espinosa began the third with a single that was followed by a Laredo error on a hard ground ball off the bat of T.J. Mittelstaedt. As the ball caromed off of first baseman Dustin Geiger and into right field, Espinosa raced to third. Andy LaRoche grounded into a double play in the next at bat to force in the run and make it 2-0. Wichita loaded the bases against Pollorena in the fourth with two outs. The count was 0-2 when the left-hander spiked a breaking a ball that catcher Brian Peterson could not block. The wild pitch allowed a run to score and the lead to grow to three.
Kevin Taylor opened the Lemurs (42-37) half of the fourth by lining a double to right for the home team's first hit against Jason Van Skike. Denis Phipps followed by grounding a ball up the middle for an RBI single. In the top of the fifth, LaRoche quickly pushed the lead back to three runs with a solo home run to left. The long ball was the second in as many nights for the designated hitter.
Laredo climbed back into the game with the use of the home run ball in the sixth. With one out, Juan Silverio left the yard for the ninth time this season and, two batters later, Phipps did the same. The inning was the final one on the mound for Van Skike who allowed three runs on four hits over 6.0 frames.
Three straight Laredo bunts in the eighth inning off of Iden Nazario left runners on second and third with one out. The southpaw issued an intentional walk to Phipps to load the bases before handing the ball to Brad Orosey. The right-hander got D'Vontrey Richardson to pop out to second in his first match-up. With two outs, Orosey could not find the zone to Geiger and walked the first baseman to force in the tying run. He rebounded to strike out Jeudy Valdez and strand three runners.
Neither team could muster a run in the next two frames so the international rule was put into effect at the opening of the 11th. The Wingnuts bunted Padgett, their runner, to third base for the first out. Both Harrison Kain and Taylor Smart grounded out to third as B.J. Hyatt (3-1) escaped the inning without damage.
Alex Boshers (1-2) was forced to open the bottom of the inning with the winning run on second in the form of Richardson. Geiger fouled off the first pitch he saw before laying down a bunt that pushed the runner to third base. Valdez pulled a ground ball past a diving Mittelstaedt and into left field to end the game.
The rubber match of the series will get underway on Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. The Wingnuts will call on RHP Eddie Medina (3-0) in a match-up against Laredo RHP Cody Kendall (1-0). For information on Wingnuts season tickets, group outings and party packages, call the main office at (316)264-NUTS, or visit the Wingnuts official website at www.wichitawingnuts.com.
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