Wingnuts' comeback falls short

June 12, 2011

{WICHITA, Kan.} — The Wichita Wingnuts lost 10-7 to the Sioux City Explorers at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Sunday evening.

After facing deficits of five and six runs, the Wingnuts twice rallied to pull within two, but Explorers' reliever Eddie De La Cruz worked two scoreless innings over the seventh and the eighth to prevent Wichita from coming all the way back.

Down 9-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Edwin Bellorin and Mike Conroy hit back-to-back opposite field doubles to cut the X's' lead to five runs. Jose Duran beat out a groundball to third for an infield single, and then Josh Horn reached on a throwing error by pitcher Matt Gibbs that scored Conroy from third base. After Thomas Fitzgerald worked out a walk to load the bases, Gibbs was relieved by De La Cruz.

Ryan Patterson hit a sacrifice fly to right field against De La Cruz, and was followed by Brent Clevlen's RBI groundball single through the right side that pulled the Wingnuts within two. De La Cruz walked Delgado to re-load the bases, but recovered by inducing a groundball double play ball to second from Josh Workman that ended the inning.

Mike Murphy drew a leadoff walk against Kendy Batista in the top of the eighth, took second on a hit-and-run groundball from Dustin Jones, third on a groundout to second by Derek Schermerhorn, and scored on a two-out, bunt single along the third base line from T.J. Bohn.

After De La Cruz pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth, Andrew Snowden pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save.

The Wingnuts trailed 5-0 after four innings before Conroy singled home Workman with two outs in the fifth to put Wichita on the board. Delgado hit a two-out, two-run double to right field in the sixth that sliced Sioux City's lead to 5-3.

The Explorers increased their advantage with a four-run seventh. With the bases loaded and no outs, Ray Serrano hit a sacrifice fly to right that made it 6-3. Wally Backman Jr. hit a groundball single through the right side that brought in Sioux City's seventh run. An eighth scored when Patterson's throw to third base bounced over the sidewall in foul territory. Backman took third on the play and scored on a sacrifice fly from Tyler Goodro.

Sioux City plated three in the opening inning against Wingnuts' starter Junior Guerra. Jones and Schermerhorn hit consecutive singles to open the game. Jones scored on Bohn's groundout to third and Schermerhorn came in two batters later when Serrano singled to left field. Backman hit an RBI groundout to finish the X's first inning rally.

Bohn led off the top of the third with a home run to left field. Kent Sakamoto followed with a double off the fence in left and took third on a single to left by Serrano. Sakamoto scored when Backman hit into a double play.

Guerra took the loss, allowing five earned runs in five innings. Guerra struck out five and walked two while allowing nine hits.

Taylor King, who was relieved by Gibbs in the sixth due to injury, earned the win. King allowed one earned run on four hits, striking out three and walking none.

Jared Simon worked a perfect top of the ninth with two strikeouts. The Wingnuts have lost three consecutive series.

The Wingnuts open a three-game series versus the Shreveport-Bossier Captains on Monday night at 7:05 p.m. Lefty Ryan Hinson takes the mound.

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