It looked like the perfect storm Tuesday night. The Joplin Blasters entered Game 1 of their double-header against the Wichita Wingnuts on a 14-game losing streak, and the Wingnuts were the hottest team in the American Association, winners of nine of their last 10 games. Jon Link was on the hill, one of the hottest pitchers in the league. It looked like this was another W for Wichita, but Joplin would use a three-run sixth inning to erase a 4-3 deficit and take Game 1, 7-4.

Former Wingnut Frank Del Valle started for the Blasters, and both he and Link kept it scoreless through the first inning. In the second, the Wingnuts took the lead. Martin Medina doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on a ground out. Richard Prigatano drove Medina home and it was 1-0 Wichita.

In the top of the third, the Joplin Blasters tied the score. With one out, Conor Sullican hit a deep fly ball to center field that was just out of the reach of Harrison Kain. The ball hit off the wall and Sullivan raced into third with a stand up triple. Kain was hurt but remained in the contest. Alex Polston then drew a walk and Oscar Mesa followed with a single that scored Sullivan to tie the game at one. Next up was Mitch Glasser, looking to turn the inning into a big one for Joplin. He hit a fly ball into center field that Polston could not tell if Kain would catch it or not. He was unable to reach it in time, but quickly scooped up the ball and threw to third to nail Polston on the fielder’s choice. Medina then threw out Mesa to end the inning and keep the score tied.

The Wingnuts responded right away in the bottom of the third. Zack Cox led off the inning and blasted a solo homer over the left-center field wall, his sixth of the season. Two batters later T.J. Mittelstaedt doubled and Matt Chavez drove him home with a single to extend the lead to 3-1.

It would stay that way until the top of the fifth when the Blasters would tie the score again. Mark Kruger singled to start the frame and Sean Smith followed with his first homerun of the year. That tied the score at three but, more importantly, showed the Manager Gabe Suarez’s team was not a group of quitters. They may be struggling of late, but they came to play.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Wingnuts retook the lead. Back-to-back singles by Cox and Brent Clevlen got the inning started. Medina then delivered a single to score Cox and it was 4-3 Wichita.

That losing streak looked like it would reach 15, but the Blasters took the lead in the top of the sixth and they would not relinquish it. Glasser led off the inning with a ball that Kain could just not reach. The ball landed on the turf and rolled to the wall with Glasser racing into third with a triple. Geraldo Valentin then followed with a double that scored the runner to tie the game. Next up was Charlie Valerio, who grounded down to Chavez. The first baseman threw to Link covering, but the pitcher missed the bag. The call was originally that the runner was out but, after a conference, the umpires overturned the call and Link was given an error. Two batters later Mark Krueger singled to give the Blasters the 5-4 lead. A single by Sullivan scored Valerio and the losing streak was clearly coming to an end.

In the top of the seventh, Glasser and Valentin started with back-to-back singles and Valerio drove Glasser home to make the score 7-4. Victor Capellan came on in the bottom half of the inning and retired the side in order for his second save of the season. De Valle (1-3) earned his first win, while Link (6-3) took the loss.

Cox was 3-4 with 2-runs and an RBI for Wichita. Glasser was 2-4 with 2-runs. Valentin, Valerio, and Sullivan each had 2-hits, a run and an RBI to help the Blasters end the losing streak.

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In Game 2, the Wingnuts were looking to get a little payback. Two first inning runs helped to do just that. Christian Stringer, Cox, and Clevlen started the inning off with three straight singles. Mittelstaedt then drew the bases loaded walk to drive in Stringer and Chavez drew a bases loaded walk as well to make the score 2-0. The inning could have been a huge one, but Joplin starter Raul Rivera struck out two of the next three batters to get out of the inning with his team only trailing by two.

In the top of the third, Joplin got a run back. Garrett Gould retired the first two batters of the inning but an error kept the inning alive. Valentin followed with a double that scored Glasser to make it 2-1.

The Wingnuts responded with two-runs in the bottom of the third. Clevlen started the inning by drawing a walk and two batters later Chavez singled to score Clevlen. A single by Prigatano put runners at first and second, and Chavez scored on a Brent Dean double to make it 4-1.

In the fifth and sixth innings, the Wingnuts would add single runs in both frames. It was fives wild in the fifth inning. Matt Chavez hit his fifth homerun in the frame giving the Wingnuts five runs. In the sixth, Leo Vargas tripled with one out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Stringer. That made it 6-1.

Jesse Pratt (4-2) earned the victory. Rivera (0-3) took the loss. Chavez finished a perfect 2-2 with 2-runs, 3-RBI and a walk.

These two teams continue their four-game series Wednesday night. Game time is 7:05.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier