EL PASO, TX- The Wichita Wingnuts lost 1-0 to the El Paso Diablos on Monday night at Cohen Stadium.
Will Savage started for Wichita and allowed one run on just four hits, but took the loss. Savage recorded 10 groundball outs and at one point retired 11 hitters in a row. The right-hander struck out three and walked three.
After Savage retired the first two hitters in the bottom of the first, Jorge Alvarez worked out a walk. Juan Camacho came up next and hit a chopper to the right side that went off the glove of a leaping Steve Pearson and down the right field line to score Alvarez all the way from first.
The Wingnuts missed a chance in the top of the third, loading the bases with no one out on hits by Joe Muich, Michael Thompson, and Patrick Brooks. However, Diablos' starter Nick Martin struck out Nick Blasi and then got Pearson to hit into an inning-ending double play. Martin pitched 6.1 shutout innings, helping himself out with two double plays and two pickoffs of runners trying to steal second.
In the top of the seventh, with the tying run on first and no one out, Joe Muich hit a line drive toward the gap in left center field that was caught by a diving Tyler Johnson to prevent Greg Porter from scoring from first base.
Tyler Rhoden worked a scoreless eighth inning, while Diablos' closer pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his seventh save of the season.
The series resumes tomorrow night at 8:05 p.m. Wichita sends Derek Blacksher to the mound against the Diablos' Dane De La Rosa. All the action can be heard locally on 1410AM KGSO and wordlwide 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-
