The Joplin Blasters entered the four-game series against the Wichita Wingnuts losers of 14 straight games. The team was struggling mightily, but they proved that the development of their youngsters under the tutelage of Manager Gabe Suarez is paying off. Thursday night the Blasters downed the Wingnuts 3-2 behind an RBI single by Edwin Gomez, helping the team to split their four-game series with Wichita.

In the bottom of the second the Wichita Wingnuts grabbed the lead. Matt Chavez walked with one out against Blasters starter Wander Perez. Brent Dean followed with a walk and Brennen Salgado singled to load the bases. With Richard Prigatano at the plate, the Joplin Blasters catcher attempted to pick off Salgado at first, but the ball got away for an error and Chavez scored to give Wichita the 1-0 lead.

Through the first four innings, Wichita Wingnuts starter Eddie Medina was pitching brilliantly. He allowed just three hits through the first four frames, and Joplin seemed to have no solution for the Wingnuts starter. In the fifth they would finally be able to plate a run. Mark Kruger singled to start the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice. KC Huth singled to move him to third and Kruger scored on a ground out by Sean Smith. That tied the game at one.

The Wichita Wingnuts responded right away in the bottom of the fifth. Prigatano was the first batter of the inning and he took an 0-2 offering for a homerun over the right-center wall. It was Prigatano’s fifth homer of the year and put the Wingnuts right back on top, 2-1.

It would stay that way until the top of the seventh when one swing of the bat would tie the score. Medina retired the first hitter of the inning, but Kruger would change the game. He fell behind 0-2, then worked the count full before fouling off two pitches to stay alive. He then drilled a shot to nearly the same place that Prigatano had for his first professional homer.

Medina was done after seven innings and Chad Nading took over in the eighth. Mitch Glasser doubled, but looked to be stranded when Nading got the second out of the inning. Gomez then delivered a clutch two-out hit to center that scored Glasser and the Blasters had their first lead of the game.

In the ninth, Victor Capellan came on .and gave up a hit but no one else reached base as the right-hander recorded his third save of the season. Jose Ortega (3-2) earned the victory while Nading (0-1) took the loss.

Stringer was 3-5 for the Wingnuts. Huth and Kruger both went 3-3 for Joplin. Kruger also scored 2-runs and added an RBI.

The Wichita Wingnuts will welcome the Sioux Falls Canaries to town for a four-game series starting Friday night. Tim Brown (5-2, 5.07) starts for Wichita. First pitch is 7:05.

Boxscore

Read Feature on Wichita Wingnuts starter Eddie Medina

By Robert Pannier