Riders sweep Wind Surge to win Texas League title
WICHITA, Kansas (September 27, 2022) – Facing a 2-0 deficit into the eighth inning, the Frisco RoughRiders scored four runs in the top of the tenth to defeat the Wichita Wind Surge, 7-5, and take the Texas League Championship Series, 2-0. With Tuesday’s win, the RoughRiders claim their first Texas
WICHITA, Kansas (September 27, 2022) – Facing a 2-0 deficit into the eighth inning, the Frisco RoughRiders scored four runs in the top of the tenth to defeat the Wichita Wind Surge, 7-5, and take the Texas League Championship Series, 2-0. With Tuesday’s win, the RoughRiders claim their first Texas League Championship since 2004.
Frisco outscored the Wind Surge 7-3 in the eighth, ninth and tenth to eliminate a 2-0 deficit.
Riders right-hander Joe Corbett (1-0) picked up the win with the final two outs in the ninth to force the tenth inning. Wind Surge righty Casey Legumina (0-1) got the loss with four runs given up in the tenth inning on three hits.
Wichita took an early lead with a pair of doubles from Austin Martin and Edouard Julien in the bottom of the first inning to lead, 1-0. Jair Camargo plated Julien on an RBI groundout the following at-bat to extend the Wind Surge’s first lead of the Championship Series to 2-0.
Wind Surge starter Brent Headrick struck out 11 batters in a seven-inning start to delay Frisco’s comeback until the eighth inning.
Following a walk from Luisangel Acuna, Kellen Strahm doubled off the right-field fence in the eighth to score Acuna from first and get the Riders on the board, 2-1. After Strahm advanced to third on an error from Wichita catcher Jair Camargo, Trevor Hauver scored Strahm on a sacrifice fly to right field to tie Tuesday’s game at 2-2 in the eighth.
Wichita regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning on a bunt single from DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to score Brooks Lee from third and take a 3-2 lead. Riders reliever Grant Wolfram caught Anthony Prato attempting to steal home from third in between pitches with a throw to catcher Scott Kapers and end the eighth inning.
Down to their final strike in the bottom of the ninth, the RoughRiders responded again, this time with a game-tying single from Thomas Saggese to score Ornelas and send a 3-3 game into the bottom of the ninth.
The Riders launched a big inning in the top of the tenth, beginning with a ground ball from Strahm to advance the inherited runner Luisangel Acuna to third. Frainyer Chavez bounced a ball into center field to score Acuna from third and give Frisco a 4-3 advantage.
Following a walk from Kapers, Ornelas scored Chavez with a broken-bat single into center to plate Chavez and advance Kapers to third. Ornelas advanced to second on the throw to the plate, setting up Evan Carter for a two-run single into right field to stretch Frisco’s lead to 7-3.
Wichita promptly answered with a two-run home run from Keirsey Jr. on new Riders pitcher Nick Starr to cut into the Riders lead, 7-5. After a two-out single from Edouard Julien, Camargo popped out to Strahm in left field for the final out and ending Tuesday’s game.
Frisco finished the postseason undefeated in 2022, sweeping San Antonio in the Division Series and Wichita in the Championship Series for their first Texas League title since 2004.
Season tickets are already on sale for the 2023 season! For tickets and more information about the Frisco RoughRiders, visit RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance for 15 consecutive seasons (2005-2019). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 170 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].
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— Frisco RoughRiders (@RidersBaseball) September 28, 2022
FINAL | FRI 7, WCH 5
The Frisco RoughRiders, your 2022 Texas League Champions. #LetsRide 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3aqwA2MDpW