by Dan Vaughan Jr., Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs (58-34) were one strike away from securing a win before the Sioux Falls Canaries (32-60) tied the game in the bottom of the ninth.
Kansas City did not waste the extra innings as the Monarchs scored two runs in the top of the 10th to send their winning streak to four games in a 3-1 thriller.
Brock Gilliam was outstanding for the Monarchs in getting a no decision. The Basehor, Kansas, native tossed 5.2 shutout innings while allowing only two hits; he left in the sixth with a 1-0 lead.
The Canaries got a great effort as well from their starter Neal Lang. The left-hander went 5.1 innings, giving up one earned run with six strikeouts.
The game was tied at 0 until the sixth although the Monarchs did threaten in the second and the fourth innings with a runner at third, but could not push across a run. That all changed in the top of the sixth.
Jacob Robson worked a walk from Lang, then a fielder’s choice from Jan Hernandez forced out Robson at second for out number one. Casey Gillaspie singled to put runners at first and second and chase Lang to the showers.
Gio Brusa singled to load the bases for the Monarchs. Pete Kozma hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Hernandez for a 1-0 lead.
The Canaries got two on with two outs in the home half of the sixth, but Alex Valdez was able to get the final out of the inning to keep the game 1-0.
Valdez struck out strikeout the side in the seventh, and left-hander Jordan Martinson allowed two hits but worked around them in the eighth, including getting Jabari Henry to fly out to left with two outs.
Jameson McGrane came in for Kansas City after a scoreless top of the ninth for KC. He struck out the first batter, Trey Michalczewski, but walked Connor Blair. He then struck out Kona Squiggle for the second out of the inning. John Nester worked a full count walk to put runners at first and second. Angelo Altavilla singled to left to tie the game at one in the bottom of the ninth. McGrane struck out Nick Gotta to send the game to extra innings.
In the top of the 10th the Monarchs started with Mallex Smith at second base, facing Mitchell Walters, who worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the Canaries. Ryan Grotjohn hit an infield single to put runners at the corners. Walters then stumbled in his delivery, did not deliver a pitch and was called for a balk to score Smith and move Grotjohn to second, giving the Monarchs a 2-1 lead.
Kevin Santa walked and then Robson struck out for out number one. Hernandez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Walters uncorked a wild pitch to score Grotjohn for a 3-1 lead. Walters then got back-to-back punch outs on Gillaspie and Brusa to take the game to the bottom of the 10th.
The Canaries started Gotta at second as the zombie runner. McGrane hit Ozzie Martinez with a pitch to put runners at first and second. Wyatt Ulrich hit a ground ball to short, but with Martinez running on the pitch, Monarchs shortstop Kozma threw home to get Gotta by a mile for out number one.
The Monarchs summoned Brian Glowicki into the game and he got a big strikeout of Henry and then a ground ball to second off the bat of Michalczewski that Santa threw to Kozma to force out Ulrich to close the door on the Birds.
The Monarchs and Canaries will wrap up their three-game series at 1:05 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, in Sioux Falls.
The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 12:35 p.m. and the video stream airing on aa baseball.tv.
Tickets to Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.
