WICHITA, Kan. — The Wichita Wind Surge (12-14) launched a franchise home-record eight home runs in a 16-2 victory over the Midland RockHounds (12-14) in the finale of a six-game series Sunday afternoon at Equity Bank Park. Billy Amick led the offensive outburst with two home runs and a career-high five RBIs.
Wichita hit eight home runs, the most by the Wind Surge in a home game in franchise history and the second-most in a game in club history. The offense piled up 19 hits, with 10 different players recording at least one hit. Amick homered twice for his third multi-home run game of the season. Marek Houston, Khadim Diaw, Brandon Winokur, Garrett Spain, Jake Rucker and Jay Thomason also went deep during the record-setting afternoon.
The pitching staff matched the offensive performance, allowing just two runs while striking out 15 batters. Wichita recorded its 42nd double-digit strikeout game of the season and its ninth in the last 10 contests. Ty Langenberg struck out six over four innings while allowing one run. Sam Armstrong followed with a season-high six strikeouts across three scoreless innings, and Jaylen Nowlin recorded his 14th scoreless relief appearance of the season.
THE RUNDOWN
Langenberg got the start for Wichita and was sharp from the first pitch, facing the minimum while striking out the side in the first inning.
The Wind Surge opened the scoring in the second. Reaching on an error before Amick drove in the game's first run with an RBI single for a 1-0 lead.
Langenberg retired the side in order in the second on just seven pitches.
Midland evened the score in the third on a solo home run to right field.
The Wind Surge answered immediately in the bottom of the inning as Diaw launched his first Double-A home run before Winokur added an RBI single later in the frame to give Wichita a 3-1 lead.
Wichita added another run in the fourth after a single and a walk put runners aboard. Thomason laid down a perfectly placed bunt that stayed fair down the third-base line, allowing Kyle DeBarge to score from second and extend the lead to 4-1.
Langenberg finished his outing after four innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out six. Armstrong took over in the fifth and struck out two in a scoreless inning to begin his piggyback outing.
The Wind Surge added two more runs in the fifth when Amick crushed a 476-foot home run off the top of the scoreboard to make it 6-1.
Wichita broke the game open with a six-run sixth inning. Houston, Winokur and Spain each homered, while Rucker added an RBI double to stretch the lead to 12-1.
Amick launched his second home run of the afternoon, a two-run shot in the seventh, to push the advantage to 14-1.
The Wind Surge capped the scoring in the eighth with back-to-back home runs from Rucker and Thomason, giving Wichita eight home runs for the afternoon and setting a new franchise home-game record.
Midland scored once in the ninth, but Wichita closed out a 16-2 victory.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Wind Surge hit a franchise home-record eight home runs, the most in a home game in club history.
- Ten different Wind Surge players recorded at least one hit.
- The Wind Surge recorded 19 hits, their 22nd game with double-digit hits this season.
- The Wind Surge struck out 15 batters, their 42nd game with double-digit strikeouts this season.
- The Wichita pitching staff has recorded double-digit strikeouts in nine of its last 10 games.
- Marek Houston extended his on-base streak to 21 games.
- Houston hit his fourth Double-A home run.
- Houston recorded his sixth multi-hit game of the season.
- Houston has homered in two of his last three games.
- Houston has recorded multi-hit games in three consecutive contests.
- Khadim Diaw extended his hitting streak to 10 games and hit his first Double-A home run.
- Andrew Cossetti extended his on-base streak to 11 games.
- Tanner Schobel has recorded a hit in each of his first three games with Wichita.
- Billy Amick extended his on-base streak to nine games.
- Amick hit his 22nd and 23rd home runs of the season.
- Amick recorded his 23rd multi-RBI game of the season.
- Amick recorded his third multi-home run game of the season.
- Amick set a Double-A career high with five RBIs.
- Brandon Winokur extended his on-base streak to 14 games and hit his third home run of the season.
- Winokur has driven in a run in back-to-back games.
- Winokur recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
- Winokur has homered in back-to-back games and tied his Double-A career high with three RBIs.
- Garrett Spain hit his 15th home run of the season.
- Jake Rucker recorded his seventh multi-hit game of the season and hit his fourth home run.
- Rucker notches his fourth multi-RBI performance of the year.
- Jay Thomason recorded his seventh multi-hit game of the season.
- Thomason has recorded multi-hit games in back-to-back contests.
- Thomason hit his third home run of the season.
- RHP Ty Langenberg struck out six and allowed one run over four innings.
- RHP Sam Armstrong recorded a season-high six strikeouts over three scoreless innings.
- LHP Jaylen Nowlin recorded his 14th scoreless relief appearance of the season.
STAT OF THE DAY
8 — The Wind Surge hit a franchise home-record eight home runs, the most by the club in a home game.
WHAT'S NEXT