Wingnuts win finale with Saints

June 26, 2011|KWCH 12 Eyewitness Sports

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wichita Wingnuts defeated the St. Paul Saints 6-4 at Midway Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Trailing 3-2, the Wingnuts took the lead for good with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Jose Duran led off and homered to deep left field against Saints' starter Jacob Schmidt. It was Duran's second home run in as many games. After Mike Conroy grounded out to third, Ryan Patterson walked, stole second base, and eventually scored on Juan Richardson's long two-out, two-run homer to left.

Jonathan Van Every hit a two-out double to left-center in the bottom of the sixth off of Eric Gilliland to cut the Wingnuts' lead to one run. Gilliland recorded the final out in the sixth to keep the Wingnuts in front and then struck out two during a scoreless bottom of the seventh.

Kendy Batista pitched a perfect eighth, helping the Wingnuts build an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Josh Horn led off with a double to right center, moved to third on a sacrifice by Duran, and then scored on a wild pitch by Saints' reliever Kyle Foster.

Josh Dew took over in the bottom of the ninth and struck out two in a scoreless inning to earn his 10th save of the year.

With one out in the first inning Patterson doubled to left field and took third on Brent Clevlen's single to center. Richardson followed with an RBI single to center that gave Wichita a 1-0 lead. Schmidt limited the Wingnuts to one run in the first when he induced a double play ball off the bat of Jorge Delgado to end the inning.

St. Paul tied the game in the bottom of the first on a two-out, RBI double to right-center from Jason Cooper, and went in front 2-1 in the second when Adam Frost grounded a two-out, RBI single through the left side.

Patterson tied the game in the third with a solo home run to left field. In the bottom of the fourth, Richard Mercado homered to left-center to put St. Paul back in front at 3-2.

Justin Murray started for the Wingnuts and earned the win, allowing four earned runs in five and two-thirds innings. Murray struck out three and walked two while allowing nine hits.

Schmidt went five innings and took the loss, allowing five earned runs on nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Patterson finished the game with three runs scored.

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