Massetti Backs Wingnuts in Second Straight Win

WICHITA, KS- The Wichita Wingnuts defeated the Sioux City Explorers 4-2 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Tuesday night.

For a second straight game, the Wingnuts received a stellar effort from their starting pitcher.  Luke Massetti pitched eight innings, allowing two runs on five hits to earn his third win of the season.  Massetti struck out two and walked none and retired 16 of 17 hitters from the third inning into the eighth.

Massetti allowed a two-out, solo home run in the top of the first to T.J Bohn, but the Wingnuts came right back and tied the game in the bottom half.

Eric Williams led off the inning with a walk.  After X's starter Michael Phelps retired the next two hitters, Williams stole second and came home on a groundball single to center by Mario Delgado.

The Wingnuts manufactured a run in the second to take the lead.  Chad Rothford boomed a double to left-center to lead off the inning and moved to second on Steve Pearson's groundball to second base.  Michael Thompson lifted a deep fly ball to left field that scored Rothford and made it 2-1, a lead the Wingnuts never gave back.

With first and second and one out in the fourth, Thompson hit a short line drive to center that bounced past a diving Dustin Jones to score Rothford from second, giving the Wingnuts a 3-1 lead.

Sioux City inched closer in the top of the eighth.  Dustin Jones snapped a streak of 10 batters retired in a row by Massetti with a long solo home run to left field, but the Wingnuts answered back again in the bottom of the frame.

Delgado led off with a single and was pinch-run for by reliever Brandon Mathes.  Two hitters later, Rothford hit a potential inning-ending double play ball to second that was booted by Derek Schermerhorn.  Steve Pearson was hit by a pitch and then Thompson beat out another double play attempt by the Explorers to bring in Mathes with the Wingnuts' fourth run.

Justin Dowdy worked a scoreless ninth for his 10th save of the year, including two strikeouts.  Thompson finished the night with three RBIs.  Phelps took the loss, allowing three earned runs in four innings.

The series conlcudes on Wednesday afternoon at 12:05 p.m.  Doug Hurn makes a spot start for the Wingnuts against right-hander Mikael Ryder.  For tickets, call the Wingnuts' office at (316) 264-NUTS.

-Wingnuts-