Category: Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs (66-31) took game one from the Cleburne (Texas) Railroaders (54-43) in the first game of the final away series of the 2021 regular season.

Left-handed-pitcher and Lee’s Summit native Matt Hall spun six innings of three-hit ball with 10 strikeouts Friday night to set the tone for Kansas City.

Gaby Guerrero got the offense started in Cleburne, hitting a solo home run in the top of the first.

The Monarchs began the second inning with a single by Paulo Orlando, followed by a Kevin Santa base hit. Charcer Burks singled to load the bases, and an RBI single by Daniel Wasinger brought Orlando home. Santa came in after Orlando, thanks to an error on the centerfielder Zach Nehrir. Morgan McCullough’s bat also heated up with an RBI single to score Burks and Wasinger, giving the Monarchs a towering lead early, 4-0.

Cleburne responded in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run by Cleburne star D.J. Peterson to get on the board, 5-1. It was the only run allowed by Matt Hall on the night.

In the top of the seventh, Morgan McCullough kept the offense hot with an RBI single to bring Kevin Santa home and extend the lead 6-1. An inning later, Casey Gillaspie launched a solo home run, bringing the lead to 7-1 off reliever Brendan Bell.

Ryan Grotjohn finished the night with a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Charcer Burks in the ninth and gave the first-place Monarchs the 8-1 win.

Hall has now worked 12 innings for the Monarchs in two starts, surrendering just one run with 17 strike outs.

The Monarchs will meet the Cleburne Railroaders again at 7:06 p.m. Saturday in Texas.

The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Post-season tickets can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com/tickets.

• Story from Kansas City Monarchs

Despite Sioux Falls’ high ERA as a pitching staff, the Monarchs were shut out on Wednesday night 2-0.

The loss snapped Kansas City’s six-game winning streak.

For most of the evening, the Monarchs (65-31) couldn’t put together anything off right-handed pitcher Tyler Garkow.

Through the first six innings, Garkow allowed just two hits and struck out seven hitters. Only Ryan Grotjohn and Colin Willis collected hits off the Canaries’ starter.

Fortunately for Kansas City, right-handed pitcher Jake Matthys was just as effective as Garkow. Following his impressive outing against Houston over the weekend, Matthys responded with five shutout innings.

Like Garkow, the right-hander surrendered just two hits.

In the bottom of the seventh, Sioux Falls (35-60) finally broke the scoreless tie. Garrett Hope, who came into the game hitting under the Mendoza Line, ripped a go-ahead double off Dalbert Siri. Later in the inning, Cade Gotta added some insurance on a sacrifice fly.

Kansas City’s best opportunity to score came in the top of the eighth inning. With two outs, the Monarchs loaded the bases for Darnell Sweeney. Sweeney, though, struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch.

In the ninth, Caleb Frare slammed the door and salvaged the series finale against Kansas City.

The Monarchs have an off-day Thursday before finishing the regular season with a four-game set at Cleburne starting on Friday. First pitch is set for 7:06 p.m.

The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Post-season tickets can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com/tickets.

• Story by Jack Johnson, Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs (65-30) swept past the Sioux Falls Canaries (34-60) in a doubleheader Tuesday night at Sioux Falls Stadium in South Dakota.

Monarchs start early, win 5-3

The Monarchs were on fire right off the bat with five hits in the first inning. With Ryan Grotjohn and Darnell Sweeney at first and third, Gaby Guerrero knocked a single to bring in Grotjohn for run number one.

Morgan McCullough and Sweeney continued the offensive heat in the third, and Guerrero’s second single brought in McCullough, giving the Monarchs a 2-0 advantage.

The Canaries responded in the bottom of the third with an RBI single from Garrett Hope, cutting the Monarchs lead down to one.

In the top of the fourth, Ibandel Isabel and Colin Willis reached first and second with base hits off the first pitch they saw from Canaries starter Joey Wagman (1-2). McCullough then delivered a three-run home run to right field, cushioning the Monarchs lead at 5-1.

The Canaries rallied in the bottom of the seventh with RBI singles from Wyatt Ulrich and Cade Gotta, bringing the score to 5-3. Jeremey Rhoades was able to shut down the Canaries in the inning to preserve the win for Kansas City.

Right-handers Justin Donatella and Jeremy Rhoades combined to allow seven hits and seven strikeouts in the victory.

• Story by Kaitlyn Sanders

Isabel hits two homers, Sweeney one to win second game

The Monarchs came out firing again in the top of the first in game two, Morgan McCullough started with a single, then Charcer Burks brought him home with a smoking RBI double.

After Darnell Sweeney flew out, Gaby Guerrero fired off an RBI single to score Burks. Ibandel Isabel smoked a red hot two-run home run to score himself and Guerrero, giving the Monarchs the early lead, 4-0.

The Canaries responded with a three-run homer in the bottom of the second by Angelo Altavilla to cut into Kansas City’s lead 4-3.

In the top of the fourth, Darnell Sweeney struck a two-run homer, scoring himself and Morgan McCullough to extend the Monarchs lead 6-3.

Ibandel Isabel continued the offensive momentum with his second home run of the night. Sioux Falls had no answer for the Monarchs, who took the win 7-3.

Winning pitcher Keyvius Sampson went for five innings, with eight hits, three runs, one walk and eight strikeouts. Carlos Diaz worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning with three punch outs and Jameson McGrane retired the Canaries in order in the seventh and final inning.

Kansas City will finish its series against the Sioux Falls Canaries Wednesday night in South Dakota. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Post-season tickets can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com/tickets.

• Story by Emerson Peavey