When Blake Gailen crossed the plate with the Wingnuts' first franchise run in the bottom of the first inning, fans were still piling into Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
A packed house for a professional baseball game in Wichita has been a rare occurrence during the last few years, but the Wingnuts accomplished it on their first night.
When the fans finally finished arriving in the third inning, attendance reached 5,874 -- just short of the 6,111 capacity. The nearly-packed house witnessed a victory, as the Wingnuts topped Sioux City 7-4.
"I didn't really know what to expect," said Wingnuts second baseman Derek Schermerhorn, who played at Wichita State. "I know they've been promoting us well. I was hoping it would be a good turnout, and it was."
When gates opened at 6 p.m., an hour before game time, only a handful of fans took their seats. Half an hour later, the attendance was still modest.
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