Wingnuts Fall in 10

ST. PAUL, MN- The Wichita Wingnuts lost 3-2 in 10 innings to the St. Paul Saints at Midway Stadium on Saturday night.

With the game tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the 10th, Josh Alley singled home Steve Mays from second base with the winning run.  The Wingnuts missed a chance in the top of the inning to move ahead in which they had first and second and one out, and bases loaded and one out.

The Wingnuts scored first for the first time in the series, plating two runs in the top of the third.  With second and third and one out, Ryan Patterson single on a line drive to short center field to bring in Patrick Brooks from third base.  Mario Delgado was next and drove in Steve Pearson with an RBI groundout to first base.

In his first start of the season, Gabe Medina fired five-plus innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits.  The righty struck out five and walked three.  Medina struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth, his final inning of work.

The Saints put runners on first and third with no outs in the sixth, but Dustin Pease induced a double play ball off the bat of Kevin Millar to limit the damage to just one run.

The Saints tied it in the bottom of the seventh for a second straight night.  Ole Sheldon led off with a double off the left field fence and came around on an RBI double by Gerard Haran off of Matt Petty.

Saints' starter Jason Godin took a no-decision, allowing two runs and striking out eight in 6.2 IP.  Jon Plefka earned the win, wiggling out of the 10th inning jam.  Doug Hurn took the loss for the Wingnuts.  Cephas Howard and Justin Dowdy worked 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.  The Wingnuts left 13 runners on base.

The Wingnuts head home for their 2010 opener at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Tuesday night when they host the Sioux Falls Pheasants at 7:05 p.m.  For tickets, call the Wingnuts' office at (316) 264-NUTS.

-Wingnuts-