Wichita Wingnuts Bullpen Secures Eddie Medina Victory, 5-3
With Charlie Leesman unable to go again for the Wichita Wingnuts, the team turned to Eddie Medina, who tossed five solid innings, before turning the lead over to the bullpen. Four relievers kept the Salina Stockade off the scoreboard, as the Wingnuts won 5-3, giving Medina his second win of the season. T.J. Mittelstaedt scored 2-runs and reached base three times to lead the offense.
The Salina Stockade jumped out in front in the top of the first inning. Medina retired the first two batters of the inning, but Jesse Baker crushed a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence to make it 1-0.
Brian Smith kept Wichita off the board in the bottom half of the inning, but in the second the Wingnuts took the lead. Mittelstaedt and Matt Chavez drew back-to-back walks to start the inning before Zac Fisher was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That brought Martin Medina to the plate, who singled into left field to tie the score. Richard Prigatano followed by grounding into a fielder’s choice. Chavez scored on the play, and Fisher came home when the relay throw from second went into the seats. That made it 3-1.
In the bottom of the third, Wichita extended their lead to four. Brent Clevlen doubled with one out and came around to score when Mittelstaedt singled to left field. He moved to second on an error, and came home when Chavez followed with a base hit. That made the score 5-1.
Medina was cruising through the first four innings, allowing just 3-hits. In the fifth, Salina would finally mount a rally. Brad Cuyos started the inning by reaching on a walk and moved to third when Daniel Aldrich hit a ball to left field that Clevlen lost in the lights. It fell in for a double to put two runners in scoring position with no one out. A ground out held the runners, but Roche Woodard drove both home with a single into right-center field to make it 5-3.
That was as close as the Stockade would get. The Wingnuts bullpen took over the game and kept the lead intact. Jesse Pratt pitched a scoreless sixth before turning the game over to Mike Devine. He pitched a perfect seventh. James Campbell tossed a scoreless eighth, bringing Seth Harvey in for the ninth inning. He retired the first hitter, before giving up back-to-back hits to put the tying run at second. However, Harvey got a fly ball out before striking out Woodard to end the game. It was Harvey’s second save of the season.
The Wingnuts offense was led by T.J. Mittelstaedt, who went 1-2 with 2-runs scored, an RBI and 2-walks. Zach Fisher set a team record by being hit by three pitches. The Stockade were led by Daniel Aldrich, who went 3-4 with a run scored. Roche Woodard was 2-4 with 2-RBI. The bullpen was exceptional for Salina as well, getting three scoreless innings from Connor Bach and Skylar Hunter.
The final game of this four-game set is tomorrow evening. Jordan Cooper (2-0, 0.00) gets the start for the Wichita Wingnuts. He will be opposed by Joe Robinson (0-2, 3.72). Game time is 7:05.
By Robert Pannier
