Josh Dew relieved Tabata and walked Jason Cooper to load the bases. Argelis Nunez followed with a groundball, two-run double down the left field line that tied the score. Dew struck out two batters later in the inning to keep the game tied.
Wichita had mounted a comeback of their own in the top of the inning. Down 4-2, Peter Barrows drew a one-out walk, stole second, and then scored on a throwing error by Bourquin at third base. Jose Duran tripled home the tying run with a line drive to right. After Mike Conroy walked, Josh Horn singled through the left side to give the Wingnuts a 5-4 lead. Two batters later, Rivera pulled a double down the right field line that scored Conroy and Horn to make it 7-4.
St. Paul scored two runs in the bottom of the first against Wingnuts' starter Nick Singleton. Sheldon hit a short poplfy single to center that scored Adam Frost from third base. Later in the inning, Mercado lined a single to left with two outs that scored Cooper with the Saints' second run.
Wichita loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the fifth and tied the game when Rivera singled through the middle. Rivera finished the game with four RBI.
St. Paul went back in front in the bottom of the seventh. Bourquin drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on Sheldon's single down the left field line. Two batters later, Nunez hit a bloop single to center field to drive in Bourquin. Jonathan Van Every accounted for the second run of the inning with a single to center field.
Singleton took a no-decision, allowing four earned runs in six plus innings. Singleton gave up 10 hits, three walks, and struck out five.
Kyle Carr started for St. Paul and also took a no-decision. Carr allowed three hits, three walks, and did not allow a run while striking out one.
All nine of the Wingnuts' starters reached base on either a hit, walk, or hit by pitch.
The Wingnuts are now 3.0 games behind the Saints for the wild card with 19 games remaining in the season.
The series continues Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. Junior Guerra faces left-hander Donald Brandt. All the action can be heard locally on Oldies 93.5 KWME and worldwide at www.kleyam.com
The Wingnuts return home on Tuesday, August 16th when they host the Kansas City T-Bones.
