(June 22, 2022 – Euless, TX) A fast start and a consistent amount of scoring throughout led to an 11 to 2 victory on Wednesday night for the Spirits (40+) squad. The team used a 4-run first inning to propel to a 10 to 0 lead in the fifth and never looked back as they beat Los Viejos for the second time this season in DFW-ABA 40 League play.
Don Massoud and Shawn Hunt each finished with a pair of hits on the night, with each adding a double, and Massoud adding a pair of RBIs, and a run scored. Spirits starter, Jonathan Duran had a slow start due to issues with the mound, but after an adjustment was made, Duran was essentially lights-out for the remainder of his 5 innings of work. He allowed 2 earned runs on 7 scattered hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Massoud closed out the final two innings, allowing just one hit while walking and striking out one.
In the first inning, Eric Goetz was hit by a pitch and moved to second after stealing second and then scoring on a single by Kirk Sipila. Shawn Lee grounded out and a double by Massoud scored Sipila. Bobby Kornhauser grounded out but Aaron Wilson kept things moving with a two-out single that scored Massoud. Hunt followed with a single to move Wilson to third and Wilson later scored on a wild pitch before David Tipton went down on swings.
The Spirits added 2 more runs in the third after Sipila drew a one-out walk and Lee singled. Sipila then scored on a single by Massoud and Lee would later score following a throwing error by Viejos shortstop, Randall Dick.
Later in the fourth, Tipton and Earl German both drew walks to start the inning and Stacy Scott made it three in a row to load the bags. Duran was hit by a pitch to score Tipton the hard way, and a single by Goetz scored German. Sipila grounded out, but was able to plate Scott and Lee followed suit with an RBI groundout to give the Spirits a 10 to 0 lead.
Back-to-Back singles by Kevin McKenna and Rob Shollar started off the Viejos fifth, and a fielding error by Lee in left field allowed the runners to move up a base. Alex Wells grounded out but was able to plate McKenna, and Shollar later scored on an RBI single by Dick.
The Spirits added a run in the sixth after Wilson scored on a groundout by German and the Spirits held onto the 11 to 2 lead to closeout the game and to remain the number two seed in regular season play.
The team returns to action next Wednesday night when they’ll faceoff in a pair of games against the Rattlers to make up for previous season rainouts. Game one is scheduled at 6:30PM on Arlington Field at Texas Star, and game two starts at 8:45PM.
CORE Physical Medicine Players of the Game
Don Massoud (2-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI; 2 IP, H, 0 ER, BB, K)
Kirk Sipila (1-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB)
Aaron Wilson (1-2, 2 R, RBI, BB)