Wranglers Rally In 8th, Beat Travs In Ten
August 22, 2007 - Texas League (TL1)
Arkansas Travelers News Release
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, Wichita, Kansas - The Wichita Wranglers (25-31, 50-76) came from three runs behind in the eighth inning and won the game on a tenth-inning home run from DH Kila Kaaihue (8) for a 6-5 victory over the Arkansas Travelers (29-27, 60-65). Kaaihue's two-out home run off RHP Bill Edwards (4-4) sent the Wranglers to their fifth straight win. Kaaihue finished 2-for-3 with the walk-off homer, a double, two RBI, two runs and two walks. He almost had two home runs, but Coby Smith robbed him at the left-field fence in the second inning. Adam Donachie broke an 0-for-13 slide with the game-tying hit, a two-run single in the eighth inning also off Edwards. Arkansas out hit the Wranglers 16-10, but had four runners erased on the base paths. 1B Mike Collins was 4-for-4 with a double and three runs scored while Brad Coon finished 3-for-3 with three RBI.
Arkansas starter RHP Miguel Gonzalez pitched well enough for the win allowing three runs on six hits, three walks and five strikeouts in seven innings. However the Travs' bullpen combo of Edwards and RHP Von Stertzbach combined to allow three runs on four hits and a walk in 2.2 innings to lose the game. The Travs' lead in the second half is down to half a game over Springfield, while Tulsa's lead over the Travs for the wild card remains at 1.5 games.
The Travs took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning and Gonzalez returned to the mound after retiring nine of ten batters. He was pulled after issuing a leadoff walk to Mike Stodolka. RHP Von Stertzbach was summoned and walked Jorge Padilla to bring the tying run to the plate. A strikeout brought Kaaihue to the plate and Stertzbach ran the count to 2-2. With Arkansas 3B Freddy Sandoval playing off the line, Kaaihue sparked the rally with a sharp grounder inside third base to the left-field corner. Stodolka scored while Padilla held at third base and Kaaihue pulled up at second. Edwards then relieved and got ahead of Donachie 0-2, however he lofted a two-run single to left-center to tie the game.
The Travs had a chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth inning when adam Morrissey hit a leadoff single, stole second base and moved to third on Sanoval's groundout. But DeHoyos speared Sean Rodriguez's line drive to the mound and doubled Morrissey off of third base.
Edwards came back for the tenth inning and got two outs before Kaaihue homered with the wind behind his high fly ball to left field for the game winner.
Kaaihue's home run gave the Wranglers their only lead of the game. The Travs took the lead in the second inning as Collins singled sharply to centerfield then was bunted to second base by RF Cody Fuller. Coon followed with a bouncer in front of the plate that LHP Jorge De la Rosa handled and threw wild past first base for a single and an error scoring Collins.
The very next half inning, Padilla lined a leadoff home run (9) to left-center to tie the game. Jeff Nettles then hit a high fly that sent LF Coby Smith to the wall for the first out, but then Smith had to scale the left-field fence on a high drive by Kaaihue to keep the game tied at 1-1.
Once again Collins set up the offense with a one-out single in the fourth inning against LHP Juan Cedeno. Fuller followed with a grounder through the left field, then Cedeno uncorked a wild pitch moving the runners up. With the Wranglers infield playing up, Coon rolled a single to right field bringing in two runs for a 3-1 lead.
Gonzalez was able to strand two runners in the third inning, but allowed a run in the fourth. Nettles reached with a one-out single to center then Kaaihue drew a four-pitch walk. After Gonzalez struck out Adam Donachie, he gave up a ground ball single to Onil Joseph chasing in Nettles to get Wichita within 3-2.
The squeeze play got the Travs their fourth run and they were able to capitalize on Collins' third hit, a leadoff double in the sixth inning. Fuller's fly ball to center moved Collins to third, then the next pitch was bunted by Coon for a squeeze bringing home Collins for a 4-2 lead.
The bottom of the order was set up again in the eighth inning, this time by a leadoff double from C Ben Johnson. Collins put down the Travs' third sacrifice bunt of the game and the Wranglers played the infield up with one out. Fuller was jammed by a LHP Gilbert de la Vara pitch, but the ball looped over first base for an RBI single and a 5-2 lead. The game was played in 3:02 and the paid attendance was 1,025. To see tonight's box score please click this link.
The Travs and Wranglers are scheduled for a doubleheader on Thursday night beginning at 5:05 p.m. The Travs have RHP Fernando Rodriguez (6-3, 4.03 ERA) and RHP Nick Green (10-6, 3.66 ERA) pitching while the Wranglers counter with LHP Danny Christensen (3-12, 5.63 ERA) and LHP Dusty Hughes (4-2, 3.64 ERA).
Texas League Stories from August 22, 2007
- Wranglers Rally In 8th, Beat Travs In Ten - Arkansas Travelers
- Cards Hang On, 4-3 - Springfield Cardinals
- RoughRiders Fall to Missions - Frisco RoughRiders
- Cards Hold Off Drillers - Tulsa Drillers
- Wranglers Enter Final Homestand - Wichita Wranglers
- Hooks Three Back Of First Place - Corpus Christi Hooks
- RockHounds Capture Series Opener - Midland RockHounds
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