Month: June 2017

T-Bones’ night ruined late

It took one swing of the bat to ruin one of the best performances of the year for the Kansas City T-Bones.

That swing came from the bat of Eddie Medina, who delivered a three-run home run for Wichita, as the Wingnuts won 4-3 over the T-Bones in walk off fashion Monday night in Wichita.

With the T-Bones holding a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the ninth, the first two batters reached on back-to-back singles from Brent Clevlen and T.J. Mittelstaedt, off T-Bones reliever Jeff Walters. The right-hander then got a fly ball out from Matt Chavez for the first out of the inning. Brennen Salgado then drove in Clevlen with an RBI single to make it 3-1. Two pitches later Medina won it on a home run to left center.

The end over-shadowed another solid outing for Chris Perry. The T-Bones’ starter went seven innings, with nine strike outs, holding Wichita to just one hit way back in the first. If not for a dropped third strike in the sixth, he would have retired the next 20 batters he faced, but had to settle for 14 in a row and 19 out of 20. Perry has now struck out 20 in his last two starts over a 12 2/3 inning span.

In a rematch with former T-Bone Jordan Cooper, Kansas City was able to strike first once again. Chase McDonald doubled with two outs in the second and came home on an RBI single from Chantz Mack to make it 1-0.

Kevin Keyes homered twice in the game in the third and fifth, both off Cooper, to extend the lead to 3-0. Cooper went six for the no decision for Wichita, surrendering nine hits.

In the eighth the Wingnuts got their first hit since the first on a pair of infield singles that took huge “turf” added hops off the artificial surface. Cody Winiarski kept Wichita off the board and worked around any damage setting up the ninth inning for Wichita.

Zach Walters extended his hitting streak to 11 games for Kansas City in the loss going 3-for-4 and Chantz Mack had a two-hit night as well. Jeff Walters (1-2), who was moved to the bull pen after beginning the year in the rotation, was charged with the blown save, while the win went to Matt Devine (1-2).

The four-game series and road trip continues Tuesday night with left-handed pitcher Rich Mascheri making his first T-Bones start and right-handed pitcher Tyler Kane (3-1, 4.74) going for Wichita. The action will be on the T-Bones Broadcast Network online at tbonesbaseball.com. The team returns home on Friday night, June 16, to begin a 10-game home stand.

Tickets to home games are available online, by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.

– Story from T-Bones

KCKCC’s Kasick named to two all-American softball teams

Allison Kasick launches one of her 10 home runs that led KCKCC this past season and helped earn Kasick second team All-American honors as selected by both the NJCAA and NFCA. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

The nursing program at Kansas City Kansas Community College is getting an All-American softball player.

A freshman designated hitter from Basehor-Linwood, Allison Kasick was named to All-American second teams by both the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) and NFCA (National Fast Pitch Coaches Association). In addition, Kasick was named to the All-District E first team and All-Jayhawk first team.

Allison Kasick (KCKCC photo)

Kasick is the third Blue Devil to earn All-American honors under 16-year head coach Kacy Tillery. The others are Kirstin Knight and Karla Alamo (2001), pitcher Kaleena Michieli (2004) and shortstop Dana Dunsmore (2005). Catcher Peggy Hopkins was the first Blue Devil to be named to an All-American team in 1980 and was followed by Kathleen Myszka and Angie Fiatte in 1995, Melissa Eckerman in 1996 and Brooke Lyons in 2000

”In my mind, Allison was the best hitter in the Jayhawk Conference,” Tillery said. “She finished third in the nation in walks because coaches would pitch around her.”

Kasick hit a record .504 for the Blue Devils this season and led the team in hits, doubles (15), home runs (10), runs-batted-in (60) and slugging percentage (.882).

With Kasick leading the way, the Blue Devils hit a team record .392 for the season that led the Jayhawk in hitting and ranked sixth nationally.

Kasick has been accepted into KCKCC’s nursing program and so her future participation in the Blue Devil program is uncertain.

“We are hoping to be able to work around her schedule to allow her to come back for her sophomore year,” Tillery said.

Sporting KC begins Open Cup quest Wednesday in KCK

Sporting Kansas City begins its quest for a fourth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title on Wednesday when the club is host to fellow MLS team Minnesota United FC in the fourth round of the 2017 tournament.

Kickoff at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, is slated for 7:30 p.m., with tickets available on SeatGeek.com and a live stream at SportingKC.com.

Now in its 104th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest national soccer competition in the United States and remains one of the sport’s most prestigious championships.

Sporting Kansas City is one of 19 MLS clubs to enter the 2017 tournament in the Round of 32, and will hope to replicate successes of 2004, 2012 and 2015 when the team was crowned Open Cup champion. The reward would be substantial, as the 2017 winner will receive $250,000 in prize money and a berth in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League.

Wednesday marks the third time in four years that Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United FC will meet in the U.S. Open Cup fourth round. Manager Peter Vermes’ men prevailed on both previous occasions, winning 2-0 at Children’s Mercy Park in 2014 before Benny Feilhaber scored and assisted in last summer’s 2-1 extra-time win at National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota.

While Sporting Kansas City has won the competition three times – one behind Seattle Sounders FC and Chicago Fire for the most titles among MLS clubs – the visiting Loons are hoping to reach the round of 16 for the first time ever. Minnesota was a member of the second-division D2 Pro League (2010) and NASL (2011-2016) for the first seven seasons of its existence.

A 1-1 draw against the Montreal Impact on Saturday denied Sporting Kansas City a seventh straight home win but extended the club’s home unbeaten streak to 17 regular season matches. Gerso bagged his team-leading sixth goal of the campaign on midfielder Ilie’s first MLS assist, but Montreal salvaged a late equalizer through Matteo Mancosu to split the points with the Western Conference leaders.

Led by head coach Adrian Heath, Minnesota United FC hasn’t played since suffering a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Sporting Kansas City on June 3 at Children’s Mercy Park.

Ike Opara, Jimmy Medranda and Saad Abdul-Salaam all opened their 2017 scoring accounts in a comprehensive performance that saw the hosts unleash a season-high 27 shot attempts. The result came just four weeks after the Loons won the inaugural MLS meeting between the sides, a 2-0 decision at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis highlighted by Abu Danladi and Christian Ramirez’s first-half goals.

Sporting Kansas City defenders Matt Besler and Graham Zusi have rejoined the club after a successful World Cup qualifying stint with the U.S. Men’s National Team.

Both will be available for selection on Wednesday, giving Besler the opportunity to make history. The Kansas City-born captain has logged 16 career appearances in the U.S. Open Cup, one shy of tying current assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin for first place on the club’s all-time charts.

Zusi could make his 200th start for Sporting KC in all competitions if Vermes chooses to insert him back into the lineup after he featured in the U.S. MNT’s 1-1 draw against Mexico on Sunday in Mexico City.

Vermes will have a strong squad of players at his disposal on Wednesday, as Latif Blessing (hip) and Erik Palmer-Brown (thigh) are the only players listed as questionable on Sporting KC’s injury report. Diego Rubio, who netted the game-winner in last year’s Open Cup victory at Minnesota, has fully recovered from an ACL injury he suffered eight months ago.

Two players will remain unavailable on international duty, however, as defender Tyler Pasher (Canada) and forward Soony Saad (Lebanon) have temporarily left the club to represent their countries.

Currently occupying ninth place in the West, Minnesota (4-8-2, 14 points) will be without star midfielder Kevin Molino. The 26-year-old has five goals and three assists in MLS, but has joined Trinidad and Tobago for its ongoing World Cup qualifying campaign.

The visitors will also cope with the absence of Costa Rica international duo Francisco Calvo and Johan Venegas – both of whom have held regular starting spots for most of 2017 – as well as Jamaican national team defender and MLS veteran Jermaine Taylor. Midfielder Sam Cronin, who was suspended for Minnesota’s MLS match in Kansas City, will be available for selection.

Sporting Kansas City enters Wednesday with a 24-15-6 all-time record in the Open Cup, including four penalty shootout wins in their six draws. Their last two Open Cup titles were notably decided by penalty shootouts following 1-1 draws through regulation: a 3-2 home triumph over Seattle Sounders FC on Aug. 8, 2012, and a 7-6 road win over the Philadelphia Union on Sept. 30, 2015.

Should Sporting Kansas City prevail on Wednesday, the club will learn its next Open Cup opponent during Thursday’s draw, which will place the remaining 16 teams into a geographically based, set bracket. The Round of 16 is scheduled to take place June 27-28.

– Story from Sporting KC