Wingnuts win again, beat El Paso 8-5

May 21, 2011

The Wichita Wingnuts defeated the El Paso Diablos 8-5 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Saturday night.

In the Wingnuts' regularly scheduled game against El Paso, Junior Guerra led the Wingnuts with seven strong innings to earn his first win of the season. Guerra allowed just one earned run on three hits, walked one, and struck out three. Guerra retired the leadoff hitter in every inning, and retired the first two hitters in each of the first six. The right-hander needed only 93 pitches to get through seven full innings.

After falling behind 1-0 on a Gerardo Avila home run in the top of the second, the Wingnuts rallied for six runs in the bottom of the inning against left-handed starter Josh Blanco. Josh Workman drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third when Edwin Bellorin doubled to the right-center field fence. Mike Conroy walked to load the bases, and after Blanco struck out Evan Button, Josh Horn singled through the left side to give Wichita a 2-1 lead.

Blanco retired Ryan Patterson on a flyball to right field, but back-to-back two-out walks to Jorge Cortes and Juan Richardson forced in Wichita's third run. Jorge Delgado followed with a two-run single to left field that made it 5-1 Wingnuts. A bases loaded walk to Edwin Bellorin later in the inning increased the lead to 6-1.

Delgado was hit by a pitch with two outs in the fourth, and after stealing second base, was driven home when Workman doubled into the right field corner.

Patterson plated the Wingnuts' eighth run in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly.

El Paso scratched out two runs against David Miller in the eighth on a two-out, bouncing ball single to center from Chad Gabriel.

Avila hit his second home run of the night leading off the ninth against Brandon Mathes. El Paso scored once more on a wild pitch, but Mathes recorded the final out on Stephen Douglas to lock down the win.

Blanco took the loss, allowing six earned runs in two innings, walking six and allowing five hits.

The series concludes Sunday at 5:05 p.m. with Ryan Hinson squaring off against right-hander Wardell Starling.

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