KWCH - Kansas News and Weather - Four-Run Sixth Leads North Over South
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Eyewitness Sports reporter Bryan Holmgren has updates from the American Association All Star Game... Refresh often for the latest!
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Final - NORTH 6, SOUTH 2
I didn't watch much of the final three innings - busy putting together a story and highlights for the 10:00 show, but most of the action happened early in this one.
The Wingnuts' Adam Cowart added a scorless frame late to help nail it down for the North.
Kevin Hooper was in attendance. He says it was a little weird not being down there with his guys but was proud of the way they played. According to Hooper, the homerun that Blacksher served up in the fifth was the first he's given up all year (in 70+ innings). Blacksher actually ended up with the win because he was still the pitcher of record when the North made its late run.
Sioux Falls' Trevor Lawhorn - who dunked that go ahead single in the sixth - is the game's MVP.
We'll have more reactions from Grand Prairie on Wednesday night at 6 and 10.
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6th Inning -
Kieran Mattison takes over for Logan Williamson for the south.
Lincoln's Phil Hawke greets him with a hard single.
Cory Harris' night is done - replaced by St. Paul's Brent Krause, who immediately rifles another single to center. Two on, no one out.
Now Kelly Hunt. He rips a drive into the right field corner. Gabe Garza nearly runs it down for a fantastic catch, but it slips away at the last second. Unfortunately the runners all held up and each can only pick up 90 feet before the ball makes it back into the infield. A loooong single for Porter.
Trevor Lawhorn slaps a dinker into right to continue the string of hits, driving in a pair, as the North regains the lead, 4-2!
The North is wearing out the right field corner! With two outs, Josh Burrus deposits a triple just inside the line to chase home two more runs. It's 6-2.
Horn nearly puts one down there himself, but a sliding catch by Garza in right at last ends the rally.
I'm taking a break to work on 10:00 stuff. I'll continue to update when I get the chance
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5th Inning -
Top of the order for the Northern Division.
Josh Burrus is retired on a humpback liner to second that Antoin Gray gloves just before the ball hits the ground. Gray makes an even better play to retire Josh Horn, ranging into the grass in shallow right. He throws him out by half a step. Two up two down for Porter.
Porter puts a charge in one to center but the ball isn't carrying tonight. Brian Fryer gloves it 15 feet short of the wall. Another 1-2-3 inning.
Derek Blacksher is on for the North. Wingnut pitchers have struggled for some reason tonight. Blacksher gives up a solo homer to the first batter he sees - pinch hitter JB Tucker. We're tied at 2-2.
Blacksher avoids further damange, striking out two of the next three to keep it tied.
To the sixth! 2-2
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4th inning -
For the first time tonight the North goes in order. Joe Muich grounds to short.
Wingnut status update:
Josh Horn - 2/2, Run (two singles)
Greg Porter - 0/1, Run (hit by pitch)
Kelly Hunt - 0/2 (grounded into a double play)
Joe Muich - 0/2
Gabe Medina - 1 IP, 1R, 2H
Trevor Fox replaces Medina on the mound in the bottom of the fourth.
He strikes out John Allen, gets Antoin Gray on a fly to deep right. Antoin Gray nearly gave his home fans something to cheer about, launching a foul ball just to the foul side of the right field pole. Instead he flies out to center to end the inning.
Through four: North 2, South 1
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Bottom of the 3rd -
We now have five Wingnuts in the game with righty Gabe Medina taking over on the mound for Brandon Kintzler.
Kintzler's line: 2 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 3 strikeouts
Medina gets Mike Conroy to ground out then gives up a solid single into left center to nine hole hitter Cameron Blair. Of course, it's an All-Star game, so nine-hole is relative, I guess.
After an Aaron Garza fly out, Blair steals second to get into scoring position, then trots home easily when Brian Fryer dumps one into right for an RBI double. North's lead is down to 2-1.
Cesar Nichols grounds out to end the inning.
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Top of the 3rd -
We have our first pitching change. Fort Worth's Jae Hun Jung takes over for the South and will face the heart of the North order.
It's dusk here in Grand Prairie and the lights have kicked on.
Jung takes care of Phil Hawke quickly. Hawke takes a violent hack and actually drops to a knee on a swing and a miss for strike three.
The defense has been brutal for the South. Fort Worth shortstop Cameron Blair lets one tick off the end of his glove, allowing Cory Harris to reach safely. But on the next play he comes through, turning Kelly Hunt's hard grounder into a 6-4-3 double play to retire the side.
To the bottom of the third - still 2-0 North.
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Bottom of the 2nd -
Kintzler strikes out another, freezing John Allen on a called third strike. That's three k's against four batters.
Pat O'Sullivan grounds a base hit up the middle to end the perfect game bid. Dang!
Kintzler (from St. Paul) rebounds to get Antoin Gray (Pensacola) on a popper to left, then coaxes an easy grounder to short from Kelly Gulledge (Fort Worth) to end the inning.
2-0 North through two.
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Top of the 2nd -
Jose Cordero is still scuttling, giving up a ground ball base hit to Trevor Lawhorn (Sioux Falls) to lead off the second.
He nearly redeemed himself, getting Wichita's Joe Muich to ground to third for what looked like a double play ball. But the throw from second to first was low, allowing Muich to reach safely. He's at first with one down.
We'll see if the gaff costs the South. Joe Athonsen pops to second. But with two outs Leadoff man Josh Burrus is plunked in the side to put runners at the first and second for Josh Horn.
Full count for Horn who loops one into the hole between second and short and nearly has an RBI single but for a diving stop by his shortstop counterpart Josh Blair. Blair nearly caught it for an inning ending out but at least manages to save a run.
Bases loaded for Darth Vader, himself, Greg Porter.
Porter is unable to cash in on the opportunity, grounding deep in the hole to second baseman Antoin Gray, who was in the right spot and able to range into the grass to throw Porter out.
The North leaves them loaded - Still 2-0 after one and a half.
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Bottom of the 1st -
Aaron Garza of Grand Prarie leads off in his home park. He drops a bunt down on this first pitch and grounds it harmlessly foul. Blissfully unaware, he sprints all the way through the bag at first before realizing that the ball had dribbled 20 feet into foul ground. Four pitches later he's rung up on strikes for the first out of the inning.
Fort Worth's Brian Fryer bounces one back to the mound and is retired for out number two.
Then Cesar Nichols, who made that fateful error in the top half of the first, strikes out swinging to cap a 1-2-3 inning.
To the second: North 2, South 0
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Top of the 1st -
Josh Burrus leads off for the North and lines the first pitch he sees directly at the left fielder for out number one.
They're up there hacking. The Wingnuts' Josh horn grounds the first pitch he sees into the hole between third and short for a base hit.
He's aboard for teammate Greg Porter. They're apparently playing everyone's preferred intro song from back home - a nice touch. Porter's is the "Imperial March" from Star Wars that they play when Darth Vader is walking around. Fitting since he's hitting .383 and striking fear in the hearts of American Association pitchers everywhere.
Porter is hit by a Jose Cordero pitch. Cordero must not value his life much.
Perhaps rattled, Cordero bounces a 1-2 pitch to Phil Hawke -the North cleanup hitter - moving runners to second and third with still one out!
Hawke sends a lazy popper to third. Cesar Nichols barely has to move to glove it for out number two.
Sioux Falls' right fielder Cory Harris stands in. The South team (which is home) is wearing their white unis. The North is wearing whatever non-white top they choose. For most of these guys that means their mesh alternate tops as opposed to the road grays. They stay a little cooler in the heat that way. For Sioux Falls it means an ugly canary yellow. That tends to stand out.
Cordero fires up and in - nearly hitting Harris. The count is full.
Harris dusts himself an bloops one into shallow right. The diving Mike Conroy misjudges it and lets it scoot under him to the wall! It's scored a triple for Harris and both Wingnuts come in to score for a 2-0 North lead.
The Nuts' Kelly Hunt flies to center to end the threat with Harris stranded on third.
Still a pretty good round - two runs on two hits and 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first!
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7:38 - We just watched an unforgettable national anthem rendition from three-time international music-saw champion, Mr. Robert Prater. Apparently he's from Grand Prairie - otherwise I'm not sure how they would have had the clout to land such a high profile act. The guy took a bow and actually played the entire song by grinding it across the teeth of the saw. Amazing! They might as well send everyone home now. Nothing can top that!
The teams are taking the field...
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7:30pm - They're introducing the lineups and reserves for both teams.
Steve Shirley of Sioux Falls and Pete Incaviglia of Grand Prairie are the managers. They represent the division champions from 2008.
Among the things to do and see at Quick Trip Park (besides baseball) are a miniature golf course, whiffle ball field and speed pitch booth down the right field line. In right center is a swimming pool that contours with the fence, so kids in the water can look over the side and down to the warning track. The pool area actually juts out onto the field about 10 feet, creating some interesting possibilities with balls that are hit into the area. Hit a ball 350 feet into the alley and you'll see a splashdown. Hit it the same distance just 10 feet to the left or right of the pool and it's caught on the warning track.
Out in left is "Whiskey Charlie's" - a sports bar that offers fans a nice vantage point during the game or a place to go after it.
The two-year old park seats about 5500 and is expected to be pretty close to capacity, tonight.
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The North has finished infield... the South is about half way through its paces. Game time is set for 7:35.
Kelly Hunt and Greg Porter both took part in the pre-game Homerun Derby. Both managed to avoid "pulling a Brandon Inge" by depositing a homer each into right center, but it wasn't nearly enough to advance.
Grand Prarie's Cesar Nicholas hit two in the first round and two in the finals to win. We're told the ball doesn't travel all that well here. There's your proof.
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We're in Grand Prarie, Texas - a suburb sandwiched in between Dallas and Fort Worth - bringing you all the excitement. A league-high seven Wingnuts are on the roster for the North. Catcher Joe Muich, shortstop Josh Horn, left fielder Greg Porter and designated hitter Kelly Hunt are all starters. Pitchers Adam Cowart, Gabe Medina and Derek Blacksher will all throw at some point tonight.
The Northern Division has never won an American Association All Star game. Okay that's not saying a whole lot. This is only year three of the North vs. South format.
The lineups:
NORTHERN DIVISION:
CF Josh Burrus - Lincoln
SS Josh Horn - Wichita
LF Greg Porter - Wichita
1B - Phil Hawke - Lincoln
RF - Cory Harris - Sioux Falls
DH - Kelly Hunt - Wichita
3B - Trevor Lawhorn - Sioux Falls
C - Joe Muich - Wichita
2B - Joe Athonsen - Sioux Falls
P - Brandon Kintzler - St. Paul
SOUTHERN DIVISION:
LF - Aaron Garza - Grand Prairie
CF - Brian Fryer - Fort Worth
3B - Cesar Nicholas - Grand Prairie
1B - John Allen - Fort Worth
DH - Pat O'Sullivan - Fort Worth
2B - Antoin Gray - Pensacola
C - Kelley Gulledge - Fort Worth
RF - Mike Conroy - Grand Prairie
SS - Cameron Blair - Fort Worth
P - Jose Cordero - Grand Prairie
