SPRINGDALE, Ark.—The Wichita Wind Surge scored six consecutive runs after an early 5-0 deficit to win 6-5 over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
Pierson Ohl gave up his fifth home run of the season to Gavin Cross on a solo shot to right field in the bottom of the second inning. Wind Surge opponents have scored first in the last three games dating back to the series finale in San Antonio on Sunday, April 28.
The hosting Naturals brought in four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to jump out to a 5-0 lead. Cross doubled in a second RBI toward Kala’i Rosario in right field before River Town brought him home on a sacrifice fly to center field. An outfield error and a single up the middle by Javier Vaz provided the latter tallies for Northwest Arkansas in the frame.
Wichita clawed back with six straight runs over the following four innings. Jake Rucker tripled home Carson McCusker a half inning later after propelling one to the wall in center. The second baseman later scurried home on an Emmanuel Rodriguez infield groundout.
Rodriguez got on the board in his first game after a five-game absence on an RBI ground-rule double to the left-center gap to cut the deficit to two runs in the top of the seventh. Noah Cardenas worked a bases-loaded walk later in the frame to make it a 5-4 game in favor of the Naturals.
A second Wind Surge batter who wanted more at the plate was Rucker. He put a charge in one to the alley in right center field to score Alerick Soularie and McCusker an inning later in the eighth. Although Rucker was thrown out to end the frame trying to take third, Wichita took a 6-5 lead that would prolong the rest of the night.
Nick Wittgren received his first win of the season after striking out two batters in an inning of relief. Miguel Rodriguez followed Wittgren’s outing with a six-out save to become the second pitcher to record a save for Wichita this season.