Wichita Wind Surge
AMARILLO, Texas—The Wichita Wind Surge dropped a series opener 12-3 against the Amarillo Sod Poodles on the road at HODGETOWN. After tying and taking the lead through five and a half innings, nine consecutive runs flooded the night away.
Amarillo scored first on a balk in the bottom of the first when A.J. Vukovich was awarded the plate after a two-out triple to the left-center gap. While there was a chance for a second to come across an inning later, Jeferson Morales recorded his first outfield assist as a pro from left field to end the inning.
Ben Ross tied the game after lofting his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot, over the left field wall on the first pitch he saw in the top of the fourth.
Jesus Valdez found a pitch he liked in the home half of the fifth, scorching a homer of his own to left for a 2-1 Sod Poodles advantage. Morales rewound to a defensive play a few innings ago by throwing out another runner trying to score to end the frame.
Jorel Ortega smacked a two-run blast off the batter’s eye, his seventh of the season, in center with just one out in the top of the sixth to give the lead to Wichita at 3-2.
Following Ortega’s blast, a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases for Amarillo in the last of the sixth; while the Wind Surge went to the bullpen, Kristian Robinson laced a two-run single to left. J.J. D’Orazio followed with an RBI knock to center in the next at-bat, and then a groundout brought in a fourth ahead of a two-run longball by Vukovich to the right-center berm.
Three more Sod Poodle runs scored in the seventh and eighth on a respective RBI base hit to center from Kristian Robinson and a two-run jack to left by Tim Tawa before the end of the night.
Jaylen Nowlin now stands at an even .500 record of 5-5 after the loss. He surrendered four earned runs on eight hits with two walks and seven strikeouts through five and one-third innings.
The Wind Surge continue their series with the Amarillo Sod Poodles at HODGETOWN tomorrow, Wednesday, July 24, at 7:05 PM. You can listen to Wind Surge games on windsurge.com or watch them online at MiLB.TVand Bally Live. For ticket information, please visit windsurge.com.