Wind Surge Lose Slugfest In Final Game Before All-Star Break
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—The Wichita Wind Surge bowed out 16-9 in the series finale against the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field. The Cardinals opened the day by scoring nine runs over the first four innings, the Wind Surge responded with nine straight in the fifth and sixth before six more scored between
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—The Wichita Wind Surge bowed out 16-9 in the series finale against the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field. The Cardinals opened the day by scoring nine runs over the first four innings, the Wind Surge responded with nine straight in the fifth and sixth before six more scored between the sixth and eighth innings for the home team.
Springfield loaded the bases their first time up in the bottom of the first on an infield error and a pair of singles. R.J. Yeager doubled down the left field line into the corner to clear the bases. Ramon Mendoza and Jeremy Rivas would each tag on run-scoring singles as the Cardinals sent 10 men to the plate and brought in five runs.
Another bat-around occurred for the home team two innings later. Mendoza had another RBI knock while MLB rehabber Tommy Edman laced one the other way to allow two more to cross the plate. Matt Lloyd also smacked a ground-rule double over the wall in the right-center alley for a 9-0 lead a third of the way through the final game before the All-Star Break. Rivas put Springfield into double digits on his second RBI single of the day up the middle in the bottom of the fourth.
Wichita finally worked together a pair of hits to put a four-spot on the board in the top of the fifth on an Andrew Cossetti RBI single to center, Dalton Shuffield’s two-RBI double into the left-center gap, and another double by Jake Rucker that banged off the wall and scored Shuffield.
Keeping It Going!
— Wichita Wind Surge (@WindSurgeICT) July 14, 2024
Dalton Shuffield and Jake Rucker combine for three more runs on doubles to the left-center gap.
M5
Wind Surge: 4
Cardinals: 10 pic.twitter.com/TUG2zCTjmD
That wouldn’t be all for the visitors in the middle three of the contest. Carson McCusker crushed his ninth home run of the season in the top of the sixth, tying for the team lead on a two-run shot that put the Wind Surge within four at 10-6. Ben Ross smoked the fourth double of the day for Wichita toward the wall in left-center, and then Shuffield cracked a two-run homer of his own over the centerfield wall to make it a one-run game.
What Is Happening?!?
— Wichita Wind Surge (@WindSurgeICT) July 14, 2024
Ben Ross scores our seventh straight on a double off the wall, and then Dalton Shuffield hits a homer out to center to put us within one.
T6
Wind Surge: 9
Cardinals: 10 pic.twitter.com/9TO7uO2cup
Yeager trotted home on a wild pitch, and Edman worked another Springfield runner home on an infield hit to the left side in the home half of the sixth. The Wind Surge loaded the bases and left them stranded after consecutive popouts in the top of the seventh heading into the stretch.
Jimmy Crooks launched a solo round-tripper, his fifth of the season and second of the series, to the right-center berm for a new 13-9 Cardinals lead in the bottom of the seventh. Edman also tallied his third RBI on a sacrifice fly to right field in the following frame, where two more would score on an outfield error ahead of a 1-2-3 routine top of the ninth to end the game with a 16-9 score.
Andrew Morris gets the loss to become 4-2 on the season at Double-A, surrendering five unearned runs in his lone inning pitched as the Wichita starter.
The Wind Surge will enjoy the All-Star Break and pick up the season back home at Riverfront Stadium on Friday, July 19, where they begin a weekend series with the Frisco RoughRiders at 7:05 PM. You can listen to Wind Surge games on ESPN Wichita 92.3 FM, windsurge.com, or watch them online at MiLB.TV and Bally Live. For ticket information, please visit windsurge.com.