Wingnuts Bounce Back With Big Seventh

SIOUX FALLS, SD- The Wichita Wingnuts defeated the Sioux Falls Pheasants 9-3 at Sioux Falls Stadium on Sunday evening.

The Wingnuts offense scored five runs in the top of the seventh to break a 2-2 tie while Nick Singleton worked six strong innings to help Wichita break a four-game losing streak.

Michael Bell led off with a double to left-center against Pheasants' starter Travis Kane.  Bell advanced to third on Mario Delgado's groundout to second base and scored the go-ahead run on Eric Williams' RBI single off of second baseman Hunter Jobes who was playing in.  Steve Pearson kept the rally going with a hit-and-run single through the right side that send Williams to third base.  Jeff Christy made it 4-2 Wingnuts with a line drive single to left-center.

With runners on first and second, Joseph Spiers grounded a single through the left side that scored Pearson from second and increased the lead to 5-2.  Ryan Patterson drew a four-pitch walk that loaded the bases and signaled the end of the night for Kane.  Right-hander Andrew Pluta came in from the bullpen and struck out Michael Sharp for the second out of the inning, but Jorge Cortes pulled a groundball single through the right side that scored two more runs and extended his hitting streak to 15 games in a row.

The Pheasants took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.  With the bases loaded and one out, Joe Anthonsen hit a short flyball down the right field line that Cortes caught.  Hunter Jobes drew a throw from Cortes that appeared to come in on line, but hit Anthonsen's bat and veered toward the Wingnuts' dugout.  Jobes broke for the plate and scored the game's first run.  After an infield single from Tim Hutting that re-loaded the bases, Singleton struck out Reggie Abercrombie on a 3-2 breaking ball to end the inning and keep it a one-run game.

The Wingnuts scored two unearned runs in the top of the fifth to take their first lead of the night.  An error by Hutting led off the inning, allowing Bell to reach first.  Delgado lifted a flyball to deep right that advanced Bell to second.  After Jackson Melian was hit by a pitch, Pearson ripped a single down the right field line that tied the game.  With a full count on Jeff Christy, Pearson took off for second and helped the Wingnuts stay out of a double play when Christy grounded out to Hutting, driving in Melian from third with the lead run.

Hutting tied the game at 2-2 with a solo home run leading off the bottom of the fifth.  Singleton came back and retired the next two hitters.  Singleton also stranded the go-ahead run on second to end the sixth, setting up the Wingnuts' seventh inning rally.

Singleton went six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with six strikeouts and three walks in the win.  Kane took the loss, allowing seven runs, five earned, in 6.1 IP.

Cortes and Bell added RBI hits in the top of the ninth to extend the lead to 9-2.  The Pheasants scratched out an unearned run against Justin Dowdy in the bottom of the ninth on an error by Bell, who moved from third base to shortstop in the bottom of the third after an injury to Josh Horn.  Dowdy struck out Brandon Sing for the final out and struck out the side for a fifth time this season.

The series concludes Monday at 7:05 p.m. with Adam Cowart taking on left-hander Ryan Rodriguez.  All the action can be heard locally on Oldies 93.5 KWME and worldwide at www.kleyam.com  The Wingnuts return home on Friday, July 23rd when they host the St. Paul Saints.  For tickets, call the Wingnuts' office at (316) 264-NUTS.

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