Wingnuts grind past Sox 10-5

June 18, 2012

{WICHITA, Ks.} — The Wichita Wingnuts beat the Amarillo Sox 10-5 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Monday night.

All nine of the Wingnuts' starters collected at least one hit, while Ryan Hinson pitched six effective innings to earn his fourth win of the year.

Already leading 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth, Wichita scored four times to break the game open. Taylor Freeman singled down the left field line leading off, stole second base, and took third on catcher Mitch Abeita's errant throw. After Mike Conroy walked to put runners on the corners, Ryan Khoury singled on a shallow flyball to center that broke off the glove of a diving Harrison Kain and scored Freeman from third base. Two batters later, John Rodriguez pounded a single through the middle to score Conroy. C.J. Ziegler walked to load the bases, and then David Peralta reached on an infield single up the middle where both Khoury and Rodriguez came across the plate.

Josh Lowey, Jared Simon, and Jeff Nadeau combined for three scoreless relief innings to close out the game.

Ryan Hinson started and won for the Wingnuts, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in six innings. Hinson walked four and struck out two.

Kahaulelio drove in the first run of the night with a long, solo home run to left-center in the bottom of the first.

Kain doubled home the tying and lead runs against Hinson in the top of the second to give Amarillo a 2-1 lead, but Freeman re-tied the game with a two-out, RBI double off the left field wall in the bottom of the inning.

Wichita took the lead for good in the third. Khoury beat out a groundball to short for an infield single and advanced to second when Kahaulelio's sacrifice attempt rolled all the way to the third base bag for a bunt base hit. On a 3-1 count, Rodriguez clouted a three-run home run to left-center that made it 5-2 Wichita.

The Sox rallied for three two-out runs in the top of the sixth to get within one. Van Pope singled down the left field line with the bases loaded to drive in two, while Adam Buschini singled to center to plate Amarillo's fifth and final run.

Derek Christensen started for the Sox and took the loss. Christensen allowed five earned runs on six hits in three-plus innings, walking three and striking out none.

Rodriguez finished with four RBI. Kahaulelio had three hits, and fell a triple shy of the cycle. The Wingnuts drew eight walks in the win, including three by Ziegler.

The series continues Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. Wichita's starter is to be determined. Left-hander Chuck Lofgren goes to the mound for the Sox.

|

|

|