Wichita Drop Second Game Of Series To Northwest Arkansas
WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge battled in an eventual 9-4 loss to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Riverfront Stadium. Wichita batters combined for 16 hits, the second-highest number of the season. Four pitches into the game, Javier Vaz lined a ball to center that bounced to the wall. The Naturals
WICHITA, Kan.—The Wichita Wind Surge battled in an eventual 9-4 loss to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Riverfront Stadium. Wichita batters combined for 16 hits, the second-highest number of the season.
Four pitches into the game, Javier Vaz lined a ball to center that bounced to the wall. The Naturals second baseman sped all the way around the bases and slid home safely for an inside-the-park home run. Vaz’s feat marked the fifth time that a hitter has recorded an inside-the-park home run in Riverfront Stadium history and the third such play against the Wind Surge.
Aaron Sabato walked, and Tanner Schobel doubled on a liner to left field to start the bottom of the second. Ben Ross pulled a base hit past shortstop, allowing Sabato to score to tie the game. The next batter, Kyler Fedko, smoked a go-ahead sacrifice fly to Peyton Wilson in left before the end of the inning.
Into the Lead!
— Wichita Wind Surge (@WindSurgeICT) August 1, 2024
Ben Ross singles home Aaron Sabato, and then one batter later Kyler Fedko scores Tanner Schobel on a Sac Fly!
E2
Naturals: 1
Wind Surge: 2 pic.twitter.com/xghOun2Jnm
Ricardo Olivar, who made his Wichita debut last night, recorded his first Wind Surge double to the left-center alley, where Jake Rucker came around from second to put one more on the board an inning later in the last of the third. Olivar would finish the night a perfect 5-5 at the plate; he’s now 6-8 (.750) in two games at the Double-A level.
Adding On!
— Wichita Wind Surge (@WindSurgeICT) August 1, 2024
Ricardo Olivar sends one into the left center field gap and Jake Rucker comes around to score!
E3
Naturals: 1
Wind Surge: 3 pic.twitter.com/6COuXNFF4v
Tyler Tolbert hit a solo shot, his fourth of the season, into the Wind Surge bullpen to start the sixth inning. Vaz laced a two-RBI double deep into the right-center gap in the next inning, giving Northwest Arkansas a 4-3 advantage into the stretch. That lead would be shortlived, as a run-scoring groundout tied the game for Wichita in the home half of the frame.
Dillan Shrum wallopped his team-leading 13th long ball the opposite way to right field in the top of the eighth. After the Wind Surge loaded and stranded the bases in the bottom part of the inning, four more Naturals runs followed on a pair of errors, a single, and a popout to shallow left field on the way to their second win of the series.
John Stankiewicz received the loss in relief to move to 1-4 on the season. Over an inning, he gave up three earned runs on two hits with a walk and a strikeout. Christian MacLeod fared well in his Riverfront Stadium debut, striking out eight over five and two-thirds innings of two-run baseball with four hits and two walks.
The Wind Surge continue their series with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Riverfront Stadium tomorrow, Thursday, August 1, at 7:05 PM, on K-State Night. The first 1,500 fans to come to the ballpark will receive a Wind Surge x K-State cap! You can listen to Wind Surge games on ESPN Wichita 92.3 FM and windsurge.com or watch them online at MiLB.TV and Bally Live. For ticket information, please visit windsurge.com.