Brian Erie’s clutch hit in the eighth led the T-Bones to a 5-4 victory against the Winnipeg Goldeyes in front of 6,519 on Friday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.
Tied 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth, after Winnipeg scored a run in the top of the inning, Ray Sadler started off the rally with a single.
Bryan Sabatella and Vladimir Frias followed with back-to-back walks. Then, with two outs and a full count, Erie ripped a single up the middle that scored Sadler and Sabatella, and gave the T-Bones a 5-3 lead.
Sadler went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs against his former team.
Winnipeg threatened to tie the game again in the top of the ninth against closer Kris Regas after Tyler Kuhn hit a one-out home run that cut Kansas City’s lead to 5-4.
Brock Bond then singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Regas (5-1), however, struck out Casey Haerther and got Jake Blackwood to ground out to third base.
Starter Andy Noga pitched well for the T-Bones, logging 5 innings, while surrendering six hits, two runs (both earned), three walks and striking out one batter.
With the win, the T-Bones (30-30) take the first of three games against Winnipeg (37-23).
Kansas City will go for its fourth win in a row in Saturday’s game starting at 7:05. Tickets are available by calling the Providence Medical Center Box Office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618.
Box score: http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscoretext.html?gameid=177996
– Story from T-Bones