Jarred Mortensen Wins His Fifth as AirHogs Down Stockade, 7-3
The Texas AirHogs were looking for a big outing of Jared Mortensen on Monday and he came through allowing 2-runs in 5-innings of work in the 7-3 victory over the Salina Stockade. Alvaro Rondon scored 2-runs and Denis Phipps and Charley Thurber drove in 2-runs apiece.
The Texas AirHogs took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first against Jordan Cummings. Alvaro Rondon led off the frame by drawing a walk. Rondon then stole second and moved to third on an error on the throw. A wild throw by Cummings then allowed Rondon to score to make it 1-0. Casio Grider then drew a walk, and scored on a sacrifice fly later in the inning to make it a two-run lead.
In the second that lead became three. Ryan Wagner led off the inning with a single and moved to third when Ryne Willard doubled. A ground out by Trevor Sealey brought home Wagner to make it 3-0.
In the third, Grider led off the inning with a single and then stole second. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out by Denis Phipps to make it 4-0.
In the fourth, the Salina Stockade cut that deficit in half. Jared Mortensen retired the first two batters of the inning, but walked Jimmy Heck to keep the inning alive. Logan Trowbridge followed with a ground rule double that made it second and third with two down. Aaron Olivas followed by beating out a ground ball for a single to score Heck, and Trowbridge came home on a wild pitch to make it 4-2.
The Texas AirHogs got those runs back in the fifth. Once again it was Rondon who got the rally started, working the count full before drawing a walk. He stole second, but Mortensen struck out the next two batters. It looked like he may get out of the inning unscathed, but those hopes were dashed when Charley Thurber crushed his third homer of the year to make it 6-2.
In the sixth, Salina got a run back. Heck tripled with one down before Trowbridge walked. Heck then scored on a ground out by Olivas to make it 6-3.
In the eighth, the Texas AirHogs extended their lead to four. Levi Scott doubled with one out and moved to third on a wild pitch. He scored on a fly ball by Wagner to make it 7-3. That would be the final.
Jared Mortensen won his fifth game of the year. Alvaro Rondon walked twice and scored 2-runs for the AirHogs. Denis Phipps drove home 2 as did Charley Thurber. Jimmy Heck scored 2-runs for Salina and Aaron Olivas drove in 2.
By Robert Pannier
