Wingnuts rally but fall in ninth

July 13, 2012|KWCH 12 Eyewitness Sports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Wichita Wingnuts (33-20) lost 9-8 to the Kansas City T-Bones (29-26) at Community America Ballpark on Friday night.

Kansas City rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to overcome an 8-6 deficit. Devin Goodwin opened the inning with a line drive single to left against Matt Nevarez, who was working for a third consecutive day. After Nevarez struck out pinch hitter Pat Trettel, Justin Bass doubled off the left field wall to put runners on second and third. Brandon Jones tied the game, tripling off the glove of a sprinting Mike Conroy in left-center field. Lee Cruz was intentionally walked before Ray Sadler poked a line drive to right field that scored Jones with the winning run. Jones now has 12 RBI in nine games against the Wingnuts this year.

The Wingnuts staged their own rally in the top of the ninth, scoring five times to erase a 6-3 T-Bones' lead. Jared McDonald drew a five-pitch walk leading off and took second when Jessie Mier fought off a single to right field. Conroy was retired on a comebacker that advanced McDonald and Mier, while Ryan Khoury was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

David Peralta pulled a single through the right side of the infield to score McDonald and cut the lead to 6-4. John Rodriguez followed with another groundball single to right that plated Mier and Khoury with the tying runs. An error by Sadler in right field allowed Rodriguez to take second base, and prompted an intentional walk to Gerardo Avila. Facing new reliever Matt Foust, Jairo Perez ripped a two-run double down the left field line that put the Wingnuts in front at 8-6.

McDonald gave Wichita a 1-0 lead in the top of the second with a two-out, RBI single to right field.

Kansas City scored four times in the bottom of the fourth to take their first lead. With runners on first and second and one out, Enrique Cruz doubled to center field to drive in the tying run. Hunter Mense followed with a three-run home run to right field that made it 4-1. Cruz added a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth for the T-Bones.

Blake Bergeron cracked a two-run home run to deep left-center in the top of the sixth to pull the Wingnuts within two runs. It was Bergeron's first career home run.

Trevor Coleman hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth that made it 6-3 Kansas City.

Derek Blacksher started for the Wingnuts and took a no-decision. Blacksher allowed five earned runs on 10 hits in seven innings of work. Blacksher struck out seven and did not walk a batter.

Shaun Garceau started for Kansas City and also took a no-decision, allowing three earned runs on six hits in seven innings. Garceau walked one and struck out seven.

Nevarez took the loss for the Wingnuts. Foust earned the win for the T-Bones.

Mier, a catcher, was acquired earlier in the day from the North American League's Abilene Prairie Dogs. The right-handed hitting backstop has thrown out 29% of opposing base stealers during his six-year professional career. The Fontana, CA native was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12th round in 2007 out of Lewis and Clark State College in Idaho. Mier spent three seasons with the Dodgers' Double-A affiliate in Chattanooga. The 27-year-old Mier is a .237 career hiter with seven home runs and 53 RBI in 179 career games played.

The Wingnuts and T-Bones finish their series on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. Ryan Hinson faces right-hander Josh Rainwater.

|

|

|