by Adam Cook, Monarchs
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (3-2) won a back-and-forth battle with the Kansas City Monarchs (3-1) on Wednesday night in Kansas City, Kansas.
The roller coaster of a ballgame featured four lead changes, but Fargo came out on top 8-5 in the tug-of-war match after going ahead in the eighth and never looking back.
Monarchs starting pitcher Nick Belzer led the game off with a two-strike hit-by-pitch to leadoff batter Peter Maris. Belzer retired the next three batters, but Maris scored in the process, having the Monarchs bats enter the bottom half of the inning down 1-0.
However, the Monarchs offense saw their first baserunner in the second inning after Jan Hernandez drew a one-out walk.
Casey Gillaspie followed Hernandez up with a single up the middle that just got past the sliding glove of shortstop Sam Dexter, putting runners at first and third. J.C. Escarra, the hero of game one in Fargo, delivered again with a fielder’s choice that scored Hernandez, evening the score at one. Pete Kozma then made it three straight productive at-bats when he hit a ground ball, scoring Escarra and giving the Monarchs a 2-1 lead.
In the third, the RedHawks threatened with runners on second and third with only one away, but Belzer didn’t allow it to get any worse for Kansas City as he struck out Drew Ward and then got Leobaldo Piña to ground out, stranding both.
The Monarchs also threatened in their half-inning when they got runners at the corners with one away. After a Jacob Robson strikeout, Hernandez came to the plate and smacked a line drive off the left field home run patio, extending the Kansas City lead to two.
An intentional walk to Gillaspie loaded the bases, but Escarra flew out to end the inning with the score 3-1.
The RedHawks again threatened in the fourth, this time loading the bases with one away, but a ground ball right to Santa at the second base bag was cause for an inning-ending double play, again stranding the RedHawks scoreless. The Monarchs also loaded the bases in the bottom half, but a long line drive to deep center field off the bat of Ryan Grotjohn was caught by center fielder Evan Alexander just before the warning track, retiring the inning without a score from either side despite both bases-loaded jams.
After a quiet fifth inning, Manuel Boscan woke Legends Field up in the top of the sixth with a two-run blast to left field, tying the game at threes.
The RedHawks then caught a break in the seventh when Brandon Koch came on and allow two walks, putting runners at first and second with two outs. Then, a ground ball to Monarchs first baseman Gillapsie was mishandled, loading the bases for John Silviano, who delivered with a two-RBI single, making the score 5-3 Fargo-Moorhead.
The bottom of the seventh also proved fruitful for the home nine, however. Grotjohn stepped to the plate with one out and put a charge into one, sending an absolute blast to the top of the right field home run hill, cutting the deficit to one. Then, Robson walked and stole second base, putting himself in scoring position when Gillaspie stepped in with two outs. Gillaspie made up for his earlier mistake and came through with an RBI double to the left field corner, tying the game once again, this time at five apiece.
Monarchs relief pitcher Jeremy Rhoades began the eighth inning on the bump, and promptly walked Alec Olund. Olund was moved to second by way of a sacrifice bunt, and then scored with an RBI single up the middle by Sam Dexter, once again giving the RedHawks a lead, 6-5.
After a relatively quiet eighth, Alex Valdez came on for the Monarchs to attempt to shut down the top of the ninth. His inning uncharacteristically got off to a shaky start, allowing a walk and then a single.
Silviano then made it three straight baserunners when he sliced an RBI single to left field, adding one to the lead but also getting himself thrown out at second as he tried for the double. Olund then drove the nail deeper with another RBI single, bringing the score to 8-5 RedHawks.
In the bottom half, the Monarchs showed little signs of life, going down in four batters and sending the West Division Championship Series to a decisive game three.
The Monarchs are back in action for the winner-takes-all rubber match at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6 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.