(May 11, 2022 – Carrollton, TX) It certainly wasn’t a fast start, but the Spirits (40+) offense finally got a slow start and picked up the speed a bit before the game finished, gathering a 7 to 1 win over the Fort Worth Drillers in DFW-ABA 40 League action Wednesday night.
Duane Aponte was solid for the Spirits, pitching 6 complete innings while allowing just one earned off of 5 hits, walking 3, and striking out 4. Jonathan Duran shut down the Drillers in the final inning of play, allowing just a single before the Spirits pulled out the victory.
We fast forward all the way to the bottom of the fourth inning where the Spirits were able to break a scoreless tie after Kirk Sipila reached on a one-out single. Travis Hitzeman followed with an RBI double and the Spirits held a 1 to 0 lead moving into the fifth.
The Drillers tied the game after a leadoff single by Scott Swingle and a double by Phil Varrichio, but the ghosts were able to bounce back in the bottom half of the inning after Will Nash drew a leadoff walk. David Tipton reached on an error, and Aponte was able to get aboard after a catcher’s interference call that affected his swing on the next pitch. Shawn Hunt played hero with a hard single to left that allowed both Nash and Tipton to score to make it 3 to 1, Spirits before the Drillers were able to get out of the inning.
The Spirits then opened up for another 4 runs in the sixth after the Drillers turned to veteran pitcher, Bill Downing to replace Varrichio. Eric McPherson welcomed Downing to the game with a single and Sipila followed suit to move McPherson to second. Hitzeman flew out but Shawn Lee singled to load the bags. An RBI double by Bobby Kornhauser scored both McPherson and Sipila, and Lee later scored after Nash reached on a Drillers fielding error. Kornhauser scored following an RBI single by Aponte and the Spirits cruised to a 7 to 1 win.
The team returns to action next Wednesday night when they visit the Mustangs on Legends Field at Texas Star. Click here for additional schedule details.
CORE Physical Medicine Players of the Game
Kirk Sipila (3-3, 2B, 2 R)
Bobby Kornhauser (2-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI)
Shawn Hunt (1-3, 2 RBI)