FORT WORTH, TX- The Wichita Wingnuts saw their winning streak snapped in a 5-4 loss to the Fort Worth Cats at LaGrave Field on Friday night.
The Cats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, snapping a streak of 47 consecutive innings in which the Wingnuts had not trailed. Ryan Patterson singled with two outs off of Brad Davis. Pat O'Sullivan came up next and lifted a deep fly ball to right field that went off the glove of Dustan Mohr, allowing Patterson to score.
The Wingnuts came back in the top of the fourth, scoring the first runs of the season against Cats' starter Aaron Crow. Mohr and Kelly Hunt opened the inning with singles. Michael Thompson followed by laying down his second sacrifice bunt of the game. Steve Pearson came up next and doubled just inside the third base bag and down the left field line to give the Wingnuts a 2-1 lead.
Fort Worth stormed back in the bottom of the fourth. Michael Bell lead off with a double down the left field line and was then singled to third by Kelley Gulledge. Brad Davis came back to strike out Aljay Davis for the first out of the inning, but Cameron Blair re-tied the game with an RBI single to left field. Brian Fryer came up next and hit a groundball to shortstop that went off the glove of Brenan Herrera, allowing Gulledge to score the lead run. Isa Garcia followed with an RBI single to center field to give the Cats a 4-2 advantage.
Davis allowed four runs, two earned, in four innings of work, walking one and striking out five. Doug Hurn came out of the bullpen in the fifth inning for Wichita, and kept the Wingnuts in the game, allowing one run on four hits in 3.2 innings of work.
In the top of the seventh, Brenan Herrera got the Wingnuts one run closer, crushing a home run well over the left field fence. It was Herrera's first home run of the season. Pat O'Sullivan homered off of Hurn in the bottom of the inning to re-extend the Cats' lead.
In the top of the eighth, Dustan Mohr blasted another long home run to left, his third of the year, and pulled the Wingnuts back within one run. Cats' closer Dustin Cameron worked a perfect ninth to earn the save.
The Wingnuts continue their series tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Gabe Medina will try and win his third consecutive start, while the Cats counter with veteran Joel Kirsten. All the action can be heard locally on 1410AM KGSO and worldwide at www.kgso.com The Wingnuts return home on Friday, June 5th when they host the Lincoln Saltdogs at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call the Wingnuts office at (316) 264-4625.
-Wingnuts-
