FORT WORTH, TX- The Wichita Wingnuts lost 5-2 to the Fort Worth Cats at LaGrave Field on Sunday evening.
The Wingnuts scored first for the first time in the series with a run in the top of the first. Nick Blasi doubled to leadoff the game and extended his hitting streak to seven straight games. After Brenan Herrera advanced Blasi to third on a ground ball to the right side of the infield, Greg Porter hit an opposite field single to left-center to give Wichita a 1-0 lead.
The Cats came back in the bottom of the second against Wichita starting pitcher Adam Cowart, scoring three runs to take the lead. John Allen opened the inning with a single to left. Michael Bell reached base on a groundball hit to the hole on the left side that was ruled an error on shortstop Brenan Herrera. Kelley Gulledge followed with a ground rule double to center field that tied the game at 1-1. Aljay Davis then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Cats a 2-1 lead. After a single through the left side by Brian Fryer, Isa Garcia hit another sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.
The Cats extended their lead in the third. Michael Bell followed a one-out single by John Allen with a double off the wall down the left field line. Allen scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Gulledge. Cowart finished the night allowing four runs, two earned, in four innings of work. The right-hander walked two and struck out two.
Fort Worth extended their lead to 5-1 on a two-out, RBI single by Davis in the fifth off of Wingnuts' reliever Richard Salazar. In the top of the seventh, Brenan Herrera cut the lead to 5-2, driving in Josh Horn with an RBI groundout to second base.
Salazar allowed one run in three innings of long relief, while Ronnie Morales worked a scoreless eighth to extend his scoreless inning streak to 9.1 innings.
Wichita travels to El Paso, TX for a three-game series against the Diablos beginning Monday night at 7:05 p.m. The Wingnuts send right-hander Will Savage to the mound against Diablos' lefty Nick Martin. Coverage can be heard locally on 1410AM KGSO and worldwide at www.kgso.com The Wingnuts return to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium 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-
