A night after the Wichita Wingnuts needed a walk-off 3-run homer from Martin Medina to gain a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City T-Bones, the Wingnuts left no doubt about this one, scoring 13-runs through the first four-innings on their way to the 15-3 victory. The heart of the Wichita order had a huge day. T.J. Mittelstaedt had 3-hits and 3-RBI and Matt Chavez drove in 4 and hit his fifth home run in the season to lead the way.

After Tyler Kane blanked the T-Bones in the top of the first, Wichita scored two in the bottom half of the inning. Richard Prigatano led off with a double and moved to third on a ground out. A double by Brent Clevlen scored Prigatano and he scored on a double by Chavez. That made it 2-0.

In the second, the Wingnuts started to blow this game open. Martin Medina was the first batter of the inning and he drilled his third home run of the season and second in as many at-bats. Zac Fisher followed with a single, but he was replaced on a fielder’s choice by Prigatano. With a runner on first and two-down, Wichita put together an impressive two-out rally. Christian Stringer walked and, after both runners moved up on a double-steal, Clevlen walked to load the bases. In stepped Mittelstaedt, who doubled to center, scoring two.  That made it 5-0.

Kansas City got one of those runs back in the top of the third. Eddie Newton began the inning with a double, moved to second on a passed ball, and scored on a ground out.

Wichita responded with two in the bottom half of the inning. Rich Mascheri retired the first two batters of the inning, but the two-out rally came back to hurt the Kansas City starter. Zac Fisher singled and Aaron Brooks came on to pitch for the T-Bones. On the second pitch that Leo Vargas faced, he drilled it over the wall for his second homer of the year. That made it 7-1.

In the fourth, the Wingnuts ended any T-Bones hope of a comeback. A single by Stringer and a walk to Clevlen put two on with no one out. Mittelstaedt followed with a single that plated his third run of the game. Chavez was the next hitter and he homered for his fifth of the season. Two batters later Medina walked and he was replaced on a fielder’s choice by Fisher. Vargas kept the inning going with a single and Fisher scored when Prigatano beat out a ground ball for a single. Stringer brought Vargas home with a single to center and it was 13-1.

From there, each time would add two more runs. The T-Bones added a run in the sixth when Omar Garcia started the inning by reaching on an error and scored on a Marcus Lemon double. Kevin Keyes 10th home run of the season in the ninth inning closed the scoring for Kansas City.

Wichita added their final two runs in the seventh. Clevlen and Mittelstaedt singled to start the inning, but the next two hitters struck out. A walk to Medina kept the inning alive and Clevlen and Mittelstaedt scored on a single by Fisher.

While the Wichita hitters were pounding the Kansas City staff, Tyler Kane (4-1) was tossing a gem. The right-hander allowed 7-hits and a lone earned run in his 7-innings of work. That was his third straight victory.

Every Wichita Wingnuts player but one had at least one-hit, drove in at least one-run, and scored at least one-run. T.J. Mittelstaedt finished the game 3-6 with 2-runs and 3-RBI. Matt Chavez was 2-5 with a run and 4-RBI. Kevin Keyes led Kansas City with a 2-3 performance with a run and 2-RBI.

Alex Boshers (3-1, 5.04) heads to the hill for Wichita tomorrow looking for his fourth win of the season. Scott Carroll (2-1, 3.52) goes for Kansas City. First pitch is 11:05.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier