Wingnuts sweep Sox

June 20, 2012

{WICHITA, Ks.} — The Wichita Wingnuts won their fifth game in a row, beating the Amarillo Sox 6-2 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

Ben Graham pitched six strong innings to earn the win. Juan Richardson homered and finished with four hits and three RBI to lead the offense.

Ryan Khoury led off the bottom of the first with a walk. After Jake Kahaulelio singled to center, Khoury took third on a groundball double play. Richardson singled to center field on a full count to drive in Khoury with the game's first run.

Amarillo took their only lead of the game in the top of the second. Tim Alberts lined a single to left leading off and went to second when Alberto Espinosa reached on an error charged to Khoury at shortstop. Van Pope blooped a single into shallow left-center to drive in Alberts with the tying run. Amarillo went in front when Espinosa scored on Chuck Lofgren's groundout to first.

Graham escaped the second without further damage and then faced the minimum three batters over his final six innings of work. Graham allowed two runs, one earned, on just three hits. Graham did not walk a batter and struck out four.

Wichita took the lead for good in the third. With two outs and no one on base, Kahaulelio legged out a double on a line drive to left-center. John Rodriguez singled to shallow left to score Kahaulelio and tie the game at 2-2. Richardson followed with a home run on an 0-2 count to give the Wingunts a 4-2 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, C.J. Ziegler led off with a double to right-center, and scored on David Peralta's triple into the right field corner. Steve Carrillo brought in Peralta with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Ryan Hinson, Nick Walters, and Jared Simon combined for three shutout relief innings. Kahaulelio had three hits in the win.

Justin Garcia started and took the loss for the Sox. Garcia allowed six earned runs on nine hits. Garcia walked two and struck out four.

The Wingnuts open a four-game series against the Sioux City Explorers at Lewis and Clark Park on Thursday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Josh Lowey faces right-hander Ty Marotz.

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