By Taylor Deutscher

Picking up a second straight win, the Garden City Wind (4-12) held the Santa Fe Fuego (8-4) to just two runs for a final score of 8-2.

Gabe Cook (1-0) set the pace for the game with two quick strikeouts and retired the third Fuego batter as Chevas Numata softly grounded the ball back to Cook.

Lead-off man Shea Bell ended an 0-16 dry spell at the plate with a first-pitch single to right center. Sending Bell to third was Larry Rodriguez on a double down the left field line. With Brandon Cooksey up to bat, the Wind took the lead and never looked back.

Cooksey grounded out to the shortstop, but picked up his thirteenth RBI of the season as Bell came home. Ariel Adut sent the ball to center for an RBI double to give Garden City a 2-0 lead after the first inning.

Acquiring Rodney Polonia has proved to be a major asset to the Wind as the second baseman makes difficult plays look easy. He placed a lead-off bunt perfectly down the third base line to start the third, though he was left stranded at third.

The Fuego recorded their first run in the fourth, but the Wind restored the two-run lead in the fifth with a sacrifice fly from Adut.

Cook finished his outing in the sixth giving up just one run off six hits. He delivered five strikeouts to Santa Fe. At the plate, Cook hit 1-for-2 and was robbed of a home run by rightfielder David Brandt in the second.

Ethan Rosebeck entered the game to take Cook’s place. With the bases loaded, Rosebeck struck out Brandt for the second out of the inning. Fuego catcher Brandon Hollier sent a ball into centerfield, but Jacob Gonzalez made an incredible catch that could have caused the Wind to lose their lead.

Momentum in the Wind’s favor, Gonzalez stepped up to bat. He blasted a laser to left field for a two-run homer, extending the lead to 5-1 in the sixth.

That lead was pushed to 8-1 in the seventh as Johnny Harmyk took the mound for Santa Fe. Adut hit an infield single that brought Bell home and sent Cooksey to third. Cooksey took advantage of a wild pitch and scored.

After bringing in three runs, Adut was finally able to cross the plate himself on a single by Tyler Lundgren.

Shaking off his past struggles, Bell reached base at nearly every plate appearance with two singles, a double and a walk, hitting .750 on the night.

Gonzalez took the mound in the ninth. After coming in to close and striking out the side in Thursday’s game, he picked up where he left off and struck out the first batter he faced. The next out was more difficult, as it took a walk and two singles before another strikeout.

Cooksey recorded the final out as Eddie Newton flew out to right, but not before Santa Fe was able to score one more run.

Juan Vega (0-1) picked up his first loss of the season, giving up five runs and nine hits in six innings. He struck out just one Wind batter.