By Taylor Deutscher
The Garden City Wind (6-12) picked up a major win against the Santa Fe Fuego (9-6) Sunday evening. The Wind won the series with the 8-4 victory.
Saving the game in the seventh, Cody Ellis and Jacob Gonzalez smacked back-to-back home runs to right field.
For extra insurance, Rodney Polonia hit a home run of his own, a no-doubter, with Ariel Adut on second.
Dylin Brooks returned to the starting lineup after taking a few games to recover from a hyperextended knee.
Garden City took the first lead of the game in the second inning on a two-RBI triple by Adut. In his second plate appearance, Brooks was hit by the pitch.
Fuego pitcher Kahana Neal tried to pick Brooks off at first after taking off for second, but was unsuccessful. On the play, Adut made a break for home. First baseman Chevas Numata placed his focus on Adut, but stumbled with the throw, allowing Adut to score and Brooks to safely take second for his ninth stolen base of the season.
Before the inning ended, Brooks was able to score on Shea Bell’s double that hit the wall in center.
The Wind’s lead dropped to three runs as Numata sent a ball over the right field wall in the fourth.
Determined to keep a 4-1 lead in the fifth, Gonzalez fielded the ball in center from a single by Neal and launched it back to Tyler Lundgren to gun down Brandon Hollier at home.
Zack Russell-Myers (0-3) ended the night after six innings pitched with a no-decision. He allowed three runs off eight hits---five of those hits recorded in the sixth. Russell-Myers gave up just two walks and struck out five.
Brandon Hudson enter the mound in the seventh, where he allowed one run that tied the game 4-4. He held the Fuego scoreless and with just one hit in the eighth.
Gonzalez dominated on the mound in the ninth, quickly striking out the first two batters. The third Fuego batter flew out to Brandon Cooksey in right field to end the game.
Garden City will return to Clint Lightner Ballpark at 6:30 Monday night to take on the Trinidad Triggers in a three-game home series.
