Dustin Geiger Leads Fargo-Moorhead in Victory Over Former Team, 7-2
For about a month this season, Dustin Geiger was standing in the dugout of the team the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks faced Monday night. He had been a Wichita Wingnuts player, but some moves the team made forced the Wingnuts to release him and he has caught on with the RedHawks. In Monday night’s contest, he got a little sweet revenge, driving in three to back the outstanding pitching of All-Star Tyler Alexander in Fargo-Moorhead’s 7-2 win.
Garrett Gould started for Wichita, but he would not make it out of the second inning. The RedHawks got off to a great start when Kes Carter led off the bottom of the first with his 11th homer of the season. The solo shot made it 1-0.
In the bottom of the second, Fargo-Moorhead put together a huge rally. K.D. Kang started the inning with a walk and he scored when Geiger followed with his sixth homer of the year. Brian Hughes followed with a single and that would be it for Gould.
Jesse Pratt took over, but he could not shut down the RedHawks offense. Charlie Valerio greeted the Wichita reliever with a single and two batters later Carter singled to load the bases with one-out. Ryan Pineda’s single scored two and it was 5-0.
In the third, the home team extended that lead to seven. Josh Mazzola singled to get the inning started and he moved to second when Kang walked. A double by Geiger scored Mazzola and Kang scored on a sacrifice fly by Humphries.
The seven-runs were plenty enough for Alexander on this night. The left-hander was absolutely dominant, never allowing more than one-hit in any inning. He allowed a single in each of the first three innings, then gave up just two more over the next five-innings.
Alexander (9-3) pitched 8-innnigs, allowing 5-hits and 1-walk. He struck out 13. That included at least one in every inning, and he struck out the side in the sixth.
Patrick Mincey relieved in the ninth, and the Wingnuts would finally get on the board. Matt Chavez singled to start the inning and Martin Medina walked. Harrison Kain hit into a fielder’s choice and Brennen Salgado plated both runners with a double. That made it 7-2, but that would be all the runs that Wichita could plate.
Following the two runs in the third, Pratt pitched exceptionally well. He allowed 6-hits, 2-walks, and 2-earned runs in 7-innings for Wichita. The right-hander struck out 6.
Geiger finished 2-4, with a run and 3-RBI. Carter was 2-3 with a run and an RBI. Salgado was 2-3 with 2-RBI for Wichita.
Game 2 of this series is tomorrow. Tim Brown (6-2, 4.81) takes the mound for the Wichita Wingnuts. Brian Ernst (1-2, 3.72) goes for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Game time is 7:02.
By Robert Pannier
