Surge topped by Travelers 9-8
Wichita breaks home run record in defeat.
The Arkansas Travelers (25-32) rallied late to defeat the Wichita Wind Surge (26-31) 9-8 in the series finale on Sunday at Equity Bank Park. The teams combined for ten home runs in the ballgame, with four different players recording multi home run games.
Wichita set their franchise record for home runs in a season in the defeat. Wichita went deep four times Sunday and now has 175 homers on the year, breaking the previous record of 171 set by the 2025 team.
The Rundown:
Arkansas struck first on a solo home run by Charlie Pagliarini in the top of the first inning, his second homer in as many days.
Wichita immediately leveled the game in the bottom of the first on a RBI double from Garrett Spain.
Josh Hood put the Travelers back on top in the second when he hit a three run homer over the left field wall.
Arkansas made it 5-1 in the fourth on Hood’s second homer of the day off Wind Surge reliever Darren Bowen.
Wichita got the run right back in the bottom of the fourth on Jake Rucker’s ninth homer of the season. The homer was the 172nd hit by Wichita this season, setting a new franchise record.
After a Jared Sundstrom homer in the sixth inning made it a 6-2 game, Wichita proceeded to rattle off six unanswered runs across the next two innings to take a 8-6 lead. The barrage included three home runs, with Luis Hernandez, Brandon Winokur, and Rucker all leaving the building in the seventh inning.
Arkansas got back within one in the eighth on Sundstrom’s second homer of the day.
The visitors retook the lead in the ninth on the second longball of the game by Charlie Pagliarini off Wind Surge reliever Mitch Mueller.
Teddy McGraw pitched around a two out single in the bottom of the ninth to close out the victory.
NOTES:
- Wichita broke the franchise single season home run record today, and now have 175 longballs on the season. The previous record was 171.
- Jake Rucker hit two home runs, giving him 10 on the season. It is the 14th multi home run game for the Surge in 2026. It is his fifth career multi-homer game and second this season.
- Brandon Winokur hit his 10th homer with Wichita, and third this week
- Luis Hernandez hit his first AA home run.
- Wichita now has eight players who have hit double digit home runs in 2026.
- Preston Johnson pitched four innings of two run ball in relief, and finishes the month having allowed just four runs across 25 innings.
- Wichita finishes the month of August with a 13-13 record.
UP NEXT
Wichita hits the road to Tulsa to begin the final road trip of the season. The series kicks off Tuesday at 7:05 PM. Listen to the game on ESPN Wichita 92.3 or watch on MiLB.TV and Bally Sports Live.