The Wichita Wingnuts continued their six-game road trip, moving to Kansas City after taking two of three in Gary. Blake Holovach started for the Kansas City T-Bones and he delivered a huge outing for the home team, leading his club to the 6-3 victory.

The left-hander kept the Wingnuts off the scoreboard through the first three innings, allowing three hits and two walks, but getting the pitches he needed to make when he needed to make them.

In the third his club gave him the lead against Wingnuts ace Anthony Capra. Vladamir Frias opened the bottom half of the inning by turning on a 2-1 pitch from Capra and drilling it over the wall for his fifth home run of the season.

The Wichita Wingnuts responded right away, scoring a run in the top of the fourth to tie the game. T.J. Mittelstaedt drew a walk against Holovach to begin the inning and moved to second on a single by Dustin Geiger. With two outs Jayce Ray delivered a clutch base hit that scored Mittelstaedt and the game was knotted at one.

It did not take long for the Kansas City T-Bones to retake the lead and to do it in a big way. Adam Bailey singled to begin the bottom of the fourth, but was replaced on the base paths on a fielder’s choice by Kyle Robinson. Nate Tenbrink singled to center field and Joe Rapp loaded the bases with a rap to left field. Frias followed with a sacrifice fly, plating his second run of the game, and Brian Erie drew a walk to reload the bases. That brought Ryan Cavan to the plate, who doubled into the gap to clear the bases. That made it 5-1 T-Bones.

In the fifth the home team netted one more run. Three straight singles loaded the bases for Rapp. Capra unleashed a wild pitch, bringing Bailey home to make it a five-run lead.

That was more than enough run support for Holovach. After allowing the run in the fourth, he retired nine of the ten batters he faced over the next three innings. The left-hander finished with 7 innings pitched. He allowed 5 hits, 4 walks, and just 1 run. He struck out 2 in moving his record to 2-0.

The Wingnuts made it interesting by getting two runs in the eighth. Mittelstaedt drove home both runs on his fifth home run of the year.  The Wichita third baseman has been on-fire lately. He finished the night 1-3 with 2 runs and 2 RBI.  Over the last three games he is 4-7 with 5 walks, 5 runs scored and 5 RBI. He has also hit 2 home runs.

Up 6-3, Kris Regas came on in the ninth for Kansas City. He retired the Wingnuts in order for his second save of the season.

Tenbrink had three hits in four trips to the plate Friday evening. He also scored a run. Cavan had 3 RBI, and Frias went 2-3 with a run and 2 RBI.

Boxscore Provided by American Association

By Robert Pannier