(August 5, 2023 – Carrollton, TX) The Spirits (50+) squad started out with an early 1 to 0 lead in the first inning after Vince Parello walked with one out and then swiped second. Kirk Sipila singled and Kent Fischer followed with an RBI single to break the ice for scoring in what would later turn out to be floodgates of offense pouring onto the desert dry field at McInnish Park.
The Spirits used both an 8-run second and a 9-run third inning to drain the life from the Aces as they went on to cruise to a 19 to 2 mercy-rule shortened game victory.
Shawn Hunt finished with an inside-the-park homerun on a 3-for-3 day at the plate, scoring 3 times and knocking in 4 runs, accounting for 7 runs of the Spirits offense. Sipila finished 3-for-4 with a run scored, and 2 runs batted in, while Fischer added 2 hits, and knockedin 3 runs as well. Several other players finished with at least two hits on the day, including Eric McPherson, Parello, Brian Hackney, and Steven Nutt. Only one player on the Spirits failed to reach base safely. Both Hackney and Nutt also doubled on the day.
The Spirits added six stolen bases to help aid in the offensive tsunami, and John Holmquist picked up the win on the mound. Holmquist, battling back from injury, tossed 3 innings and allowed nobody to reach base while fanning 2. Fischer picked up an inning of work and struck out one hitter, while Parello added an inning, allowing two unearned runs off of 3 hits.
The Spirits end the regular season with a 14-game winning streak, winning the regular season title and earning the number one seed for the DFW-ABA 50 League playoffs. Next weekend, they face the White Sox in a pair of games for a chance to move to the championship.
WingStop Players of the Game
Shawn Hunt (3-3, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, SB)
Kirk Sipila (3-4, R, 2 RBI, SB)
Kent Fischer (2-4, 3 RBI)