WICHITA – The Wind Surge improved to 6-2 on the season with a 1-0 victory on Wednesday night at Riverfront Stadium, the first at their new stadium.
A pitcher’s duel from the beginning, the starters held both teams hitless through four, before a 4th inning double from Dominic Fletcher of the Sod Poodles. Four innings later, Jermaine Palacios knocked a single through the right side of the infield, marking the first hit for the Wind Surge.
Amarillo starter Ryan Weiss threw six scoreless innings, one walk, no hits, and six strikeouts in his second Sod Poodle’s appearance. Wichita starter Austin Schulfer worked five and a third innings, allowed no runs on one hit, one walked in his second start for the Surge. Ryan Mason threw an inning and a third in relief, with no hits allowed. Tom Hackimer picks up his second win of the year out of relief, with two punchouts.
After a slow offensive game, Bechtold lead off the bottom of the ninth with a single up the middle, followed by an error from the Sod Poodles on a de la Trinidad grounder, putting runners on second and third. Jose Miranda stepped up with one out in the bottom of the ninth and came through with a sacrifice fly to right field, capping off the victory for the Surge.
Miranda’s Sac Fly was not only his 8th and team-leading RBI, but the first walk-off victory in Wichita Wind Surge history.
Wichita and Amarillo will play the third game of the series on Thursday night, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. Wichita will start RHP Dakota Chalmers against Amarillo’s RHP Tyler Holton.