The season may simply be winding down for the Texas AirHogs, but there is still a whole lot of fight left in this team. Saturday night, the AirHogs continued their three-game series with the Wichita Wingnuts, rebounding from the 7-1 thumping they took Friday night to down the Wingnuts 4-2. Devon Rodriguez continues to deliver big hits for Texas, driving in the first and last runs of the game to move his RBI total to 45.

The AirHogs got out in front in the first inning against Wingnuts starter Tim Brown. Brown struck out the first two batters of the inning, but the second batter, Cory Morales, reached when the third strike was dropped. Two batters later Rodriguez lined a single to center that scored Morales and it was 1-0 Texas.

In the bottom of the second Wichita tied the score. T. J. Mittelstaedt led off with a double against Griffin Russell. He moved to third on a ground out by Nick Van Stratten and scored when Harrison Kain doubled to center to make it a 1-1 game.

In the top of the fourth, Texas retook the lead. Nick Atkins started the inning by reaching on an error. He stole second and scored when Kenny Peoples-Walls lined a two-out triple to the wall in left that made it 2-1. A single by Brian Bistagne scored Peoples-Walls to make it 3-1.

Wichita got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth. Leo Vargas singled to get the inning started and moved to second and then third on two pass balls. Zack Cox ground out scored Vargas to make it 3-2.

That is the way the score would remain as both teams got outstanding pitching over the next three-frames. In the top of the ninth, the Texas AirHogs were finally able to add an insurance run. Bistagne singled to start the inning and moved to second on a ground out. Rodriguez’s two-out double to left brought Bistagne home to make it 4-2.

It was another display of amazing clutch hitting by the Texas AirHogs on the evening. All four-runs scored as the result of two-out hits.

Griffin (3-9) earned the win, going 6-innings, allowing 6-hits, a walk, and 2-earned runs. He struck out 5 in his best outing of the year. Alan Oaks finished the ninth for his eighth save of the season.

Rodriguez finished 3-4 with 2-RBI. Bistagne was 2-5 with a run scored and a run driven in. Peoples-Walls also drove in a run and scored a run to go along with 2-hits. Mittelstaedt was 2-4 with a run scored for the Wingnuts. Kain was 2-3 with an RBI.

The rubber match of this series is tomorrow afternoon at 1:05. Right-hander Alex Boshers (11-3, 3.32) will go for the Wichita Wingnuts. He will be opposed by left-hander David Russo (3-5, 3.70).

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier