Week Six: May 5th – 11th
Game 33 @ Calgary Pioneers
5/5 @ Calgary W 3-2
We might have slipped to the foot of the Frontier Division, once more before the first month is out, but we can still win a series against the team directly above us in the standings. In the third one-run game of the series, Aviators scored in the top of the first but found themselves 2-1 down after five innings. In the top of the ninth two singles and a walk loaded the bases before Juan Hernandez was hit by a pitch to drive in the tying run. The game & the series was won when Luis Alvarez was also hit next batter forcing in the winning run.
Games 34 & 35 vs Brooklyn Robins
5/7 vs Brooklyn L 2-15 (29,621)
5/8 vs Brooklyn W 4-3 (F/11) (31,000)
Series against Brooklyn are quite often close, but the first game was anything but once the runs started flowing. Robins scored three in the first innings and three in the second to lead 6-2, both Wichita runs coming from a 2nd innings 2-run homer hit by Hector Garza. A five-run sixth innings finished Aviators off as they were eventually outhit 20-5. The second game saw the lead flip-flop a couple of times before Aviators scored in the eighth to send the game into extras. A hit batter and a walk gave Wichita the chance to win it in the bottom of the 11th. A fielder’s choice made it runners at the corners with two out before Jim Abernathy hit a line drive into left field allowing Luis Alvarez to score from third for the Aviators 13th win of 2043.
Games 36 & 37 @ New Orleans Crawdads
5/10 @ New Orleans L 6-7 (F/11)
5/11 @ New Orleans L 1-9
The first game in New Orleans saw Aviators trail 2-0 and then 2-1 before they turned the tables in the fifth innings. A solo homer from Jason Bowen and a 3-run homer from Duane Whitley Jr gave Wichita the lead but all too briefly. By the bottom of the eighth it was 5-5 and we were heading into extras. Three singles by Aviators in the top of the 11th gave them the lead again but Crawdads led off the bottom of the 11th to tie the game up again. Two more singles and a hit batter allowed New Orleans to score the walk-off run. Damon Tipping kept New Orleans off the board until the fifth innings but then destroyed his stat line by giving up a Grand Slam, in the seventh he gave up a triple and a single which ended his night and left Aviators 0-5 down. Wichita scored in the eighth, but the game was gone. Back to back homers by Crawdads in the bottom half innings helped add four more runs and it was another thrashing.
Regular Season Standings (May 11th)
2043 Record v Johnson League
| Frontier | HW | HL | AW | AL | Atlantic | HW | HL | AW | AL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boise | 1 | 2 | - | - | Atlantic City | - | - | - | - |
| Calgary | - | - | 2 | 1 | Brooklyn | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Edmonton | - | - | 2 | 2 | Charlotte | - | - | - | - |
| Las Vegas | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | Charm City | - | - | - | - |
| Mexico City | 0 | 3 | - | - | Jacksonville | 2 | 1 | - | - |
| Phoenix | 1 | 2 | - | - | Montreal | 0 | 3 | - | - |
| San Antonio | 0 | 3 | - | - | New Orleans | - | - | 0 | 2 |
| Wichita | X | X | X | X | Rockville | - | - | - | - |
| TOTALS | 3 | 13 | 7 | 4 | TOTALS | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
Pitcher of the Week: while the rotation picked up no wins and only one loss during the week, 35-yr-old reliever Doug Clement made four appearances and came up with two wins and a hold. In five innings pitched he gave up five hits with the only run coming from a solo homer. He struck out three batters without walking anyone.
Batter of the Week: 31-yr-old Duane Whitley Jr played in all five games this week and hit .368/.429/.579. He hit one homer and drove six runs in, he also scored twice and walked once.