MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com –The Oklahoma RedHawks dropped a 6-1 series finale to the Tucson Sidewinders Wednesday afternoon.  Tucson's Matt Torra pitched eight shutout innings, allowing just five RedHawks to reach base on hits without walking a batter.

            The Sidewinders gained an early lead when Jeff Salazar doubled to start the game and scored on a single by Josh Whitesell.  Tucson added five runs in the fifth inning off Oklahoma starter Kameron Loe.  Frank Curreri walked to lead off the inning, Phil Avlas singled, and Salazar followed with a single to load the bases.  Trent Oletjen hit a ground ball to second for a potential double play, but Joaquin Arias could not come up with the ball and was charged an error.  One run scored on that sequence, and another crossed home on when Tim Raines reached on a fielder's choice.  Whitesell hit the very next Loe pitch to the upper deck façade for his 22nd home run of the season; a three run shot to clear the bases and extend the lead to 6-0 Tucson.  Chris Shelton hit a leadoff home run in the ninth inning, his seventh of the year for Oklahoma, for the lone RedHawks run of the game. 

             Torra (3-3) picked up the win, needing only 85 pitches to retire Oklahoma over the first eight innings.  Loe (3-5) took the loss for the RedHawks, which dropped six out of eight games during this homestand.  Four Oklahoma relievers combined to shut down the Sidewinders on two hits over the game's final four innings.

            Oklahoma has Thursday off and opens a four-game series in Albuquerque on Friday evening at 8:05 pm.  Elizardo Ramirez looks for his tenth win of the season when he squares off against Dallas Trahern and the Isotopes.

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