(April 20, 2022 – Euless, TX) It was a quiet first inning, perhaps the calm before the storm but starting in the second and carrying through to the fourth inning, the Spirits (40+) offense found the gas pedal and never let go of it. After just 4 innings of play in a shortened-game win due to the DFW-ABA 40 League mercy rule, the Spirits cruised to a 16 to 3 win over the Brewers this past Wednesday night.
Shawn Hunt led the box score, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 on the night with an RBI and a pair of runs scored. David Tipton was also perfect, notching a 2-for-2 performance into his dossier, adding 3 runs batted in, 3 runs scored, and a free trip to first via a walk. Several others finished with two hits on the night, including Travis Hitzeman who also tripled and added 3 runs batted in. Will Nash, Eric Goetz, and Bobby Kornhauser round out your Spirits with two hits apiece with Nash and Goetz adding doubles on the night. And finally, Eric McPherson finished with a hit, two walks, a ruin scored and 3 runs batted in.
The Spirits got the ball rolling with 3 runs in the bottom half of the second after Brewers had picked up a 1 to 0 lead in the top half of the inning. Kornhauser reached on a one-out error and then moved to second after Tipton walked. Both runners advanced following a wild pitch, and a follow up single by Hunt scored Kornhauser to tie the game. Hunt swiped second and Stacy Scott went down on swings, but Jonathan Duran drew a walk and a single by McPherson plated both Tipton and Hunt before Kirk Sipila flew out to end the inning.
Duran, the Spirits starting pitcher, set the Brewers in order in the third and the offense returned to put up another 5 runs in the bottom frame starting with a leadoff single by Hitzeman. Nash doubled to move Hitzeman to third, and back to back RBI singles by Goetz and Kornhauser scored both Hitzeman and Nash. The Brewers turned to Anthony Hair to replace starter Joe Cano but the move proved to be moot as the offense continued to roll. Kornhauser swiped second and a single by Tipton scored both he and Goetz to make it 7 to 1, Spirits. After Hunt singled and Scott walked, Duran reached on a fielder’s choice that squeezed Hunt at third but allowed Tipton to score. It was 8 to 1 before McPherson went down on swings and Sipila grounded out to end the third.
Duran continued to deliver from the mound, allowing just a single in the fourth while retiring the other 3 hitters he faced and the offense was back up to face another productive inning, this time putting up an 8-spot to increase the lead to 16 to 1. Hitzeman was hit by a pitch to put a runner aboard and he quickly advanced to second after Nash singled on the next pitch. A double by Goetz scored Hitzeman, and a single by Kornhauser scored Nash. Tipton and Hunt went back to back with singles making it 5 straight hits, and allowing Goetz to score but the Brewers were able to slow the blood draw by retiring Scott on an infield fly and getting Duran on swings. McPherson and Sipila both drew bases-loaded walks to plate another two runners, and the Brewers moved threw their roster to find another pitcher, this time in the form of Bruce Raspberry. Hitzeman welcomed Raspberry to the game with a base-clearing triple before Nash ended the inning by striking out.
Duran finished with the shortened complete-game win, going 4 innings, allowing 1 earned on 5 hits while walking one and striking out 2.
The Brewers mustered a couple of additional runs in the top half of the fifth to give the game its final score before it was called due to the league’s run rule. The team will return to action next Wednesday night when they host the undefeated Red Sox, a team loaded with some former MLB stock. Game time is slated for 6:30PM on Legends Field at Texas Star. Click here for schedule details, and don’t forget to download iScore Central to listen to the game online.
CORE Physical Medicine Players of the Game
Shawn Hunt (3-3, 2 R, RBI, SB)
David Tipton (2-2, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB)
Travis Hitzeman (2-3, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI)
Bobby Kornhauser (2-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB)