July 5, 2024 – Texas League (TL)
Wichita Wind Surge News Release
TULSA, OK – The Wichita Wind Surge technically lost twice, 5-4 and 7-0, against the Tulsa Drillers at ONEOK Field. Wichita dropped to 7-18 in one-run games in the first contest, a continued game that was suspended yesterday. They also got shut out for the fourth time this season in the following initially scheduled matchup.
Aaron Sabato didn’t waste any more time in the restarted contest from last night by slugging his ninth home run of the season, a solo shot, on a 3-0 fastball in the first at-bat of the top of the sixth to break the tie for a 2-1 lead. Austin Beck matched that feat as the leadoff man for Tulsa in the bottom half of the frame to put the game back into a deadlock at 2-2.
Tulsa loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth by stringing a trio of singles against Travis Adams. Wichita’s righty struck out the following three batters to keep the game tied heading into the ninth.
Ben Ross then left the yard in left on a solo shot on the first pitch he saw to give the Wind Surge a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth. Jake Rucker also lined a single up the middle to score Luke Keaschall from second, while Rucker got retired 8-2-6 trying to advance to second.
After Ben Ross opened the ninth on a solo homer, Jake Rucker singles home Luke Keaschall from second to improve the lead to two.
Taylor Young put the Drillers within one on an RBI double when they were down to their final out in the bottom of the ninth. Damon Keith then found the Tulsa bullpen in right-center with a walk-off two-run home run for a 5-4 Drillers win that technically began last night.
Game 2 began at 7 PM, with neither team putting up anything until the bottom of the fourth for the Drillers. Young scored from third on a third-strike wild pitch that bolted to the backstop. While Griffin Lockwood-Powell would work a walk to load the bases with one out in the inning, Marco Raya retired the following two hitters to get out of the jam.
Yeiner Fernandez doubled the Tulsa lead on his first home run of the season, a solo dinger, to right field an inning later in the last of the fifth. Wichita tried to work strategy by intentionally walking Keith to load the bases with one out; the next batter struck out swinging, and then Jose Ramos earned another free pass to bring home a third Drillers run. Lockwood-Powell singled to center and added three more after an error to make it 6-0 Tulsa.
Damon Keith singled to right field to…
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