KANSAS CITY, KS– The Wichita Wingnuts picked up their first win of the exhibition season, defeating the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks 3-2 at Community America Ballpark on Saturday afternoon.
Four Wichita pitchers held the Redhawks to just three hits over nine innings. Starter Brad Davis retired the first nine batters to face him, before allowing two earned runs in the bottom of the fourth. Winning pitcher Justin Young tossed three innings in relief of Davis, allowing no runs and striking out five. Dan Caldwell and Clint Smith each chipped in scoreless frames as well.
The Wingnuts overcame the two-run deficit, scoring one in the fifth and two in the sixth. Brandon McConnell’s sacrifice fly in the fifth cut the Fargo lead to 2-1. Then in the top of the sixth, a throwing error by Fargo third baseman Jose Valdez on a Felipe Del Rosario groundball allowed Heath Keel to score the tying run. On the very next pitch, Derek Schermerhorn singled up the middle to plate Del Rosario and give the Wingnuts the lead.
Smith faced trouble in the ninth, allowing the first two to reach base. But the Austin, TX native recovered to earn the save, retiring the next three hitters.
Wichita has one more exhibition contest, a 5:05PM start vs. the Kansas City T-Bones tomorrow evening. It will be the final tune up for the Wingnuts before returning home for their home opener on Wednesday night. Wichita currently has 26 players on its roster and must reduce it to 22 by their first game.
Opening night is now just four days away. Tickets are still available for the May 7th opener vs. Sioux City. For tickets call 264-GOAL.
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