Long ball propels Wingnuts to final spring victory

May 10, 2011

{WICHITA, Kan.} — The Wichita Wingnuts beat the Sioux City Explorers 5-2 in their final exhibition game at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Tuesday night.

Junior Guerra pitched five shutout innings to earn the win while Josh Workman and Juan Richardson each homered to support the offense.

Wichita took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Josh Horn chopped a single up the middle to lead off the frame and scored one batter later when Ryan Patterson doubled to the fence in left-center. Patterson advanced to third on a grounout and came home on an RBI groundout by Richardson.

Workman hit a monstrous home run leading off the second to make it 3-0. Workman's shot went to dead center field and struck the top of the batter's eye.

The X's cut into the lead in the top of the sixth on a two-run home run from Ray Serrano.

With the Wingnuts still leading 3-2 in the eighth, Jorge Cortes drew a two-out walk. Richardson followed with a long home run to left-center to give Wichita some breathing room.

Guerra struck out four and walked none while scattering six hits. Guerra finishes the spring with eight shutout innings.

Matthew Rossignol started for the Explorers and took the loss, allowing three earned runs in 4.0 innings.

David Miller, Cephas Howard, and Josh Dew each threw a scoreless relief inning, with Dew earning the save.

The teams agreed to play the bottom of the ninth inning where the Wingnuts added another run on a Workman RBI double.

The Wingnuts finish their exhibition schedule 2-1-1

The Wingnuts open the 2011 season on May 12th at Amarillo at 7:05 p.m. The Wingnuts' home-opener is May 20th against El Paso.

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