Kansas City got a home run from Ray Sadler in the eighth inning, but it was too little, too late as the T-Bones dropped a 3-1 decision to Lincoln on Saturday night at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Neb.
Kyle DeVore pitched well enough to keep Kansas City in the game, but he didn’t get the offensive support through his 5 innings of work. DeVore (3-4) allowed two runs, both in the fourth inning. Tyler Smith grounded out to Vladimir Frias, but Mike Gilmartin, who led off the inning with a double, was able to score from third. One batter later, Chad Mozingo ripped an RBI double in right-centerfield that scored Matt Forgatch and expanded the Saltdogs lead to 2-0.
The Saltdogs scored an additional run off T-Bones reliever Hamilton Bennett in the sixth inning after Tyler Smith started the inning with a walk and then came around to score on an Ian Gac sacrifice fly to deep center.
Lincoln starting pitcher Zach Varce (3-6) held Kansas City to just three hits in 6 shutout innings. The T-Bones got only five hits in the game, one night after knocking 18 in a win.
The lone run for Kansas City came in the eighth inning, when Ray Sadler belted a solo homer off Saltdogs reliever Connor Spink, making it a 3-1 T-Bones deficit.
Marshall Schuler (23) pitched a scoreless ninth inning against Kansas City.
The T-Bones (32-35) look to take the rubber match from Lincoln (34-31) Sunday afternoon at Haymarket Park with first pitch slated for 2:05.
The T-Bones will hold an open tryout at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 26, at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, Kansas City, Kan.
Three contestants will advance to the first round of the softball Home Run Challenge post-game Aug. 3.
Contestants should bring their own bat, pitcher and $10, which will include a general admission ticket to the game and a $5 donation to Harvesters.
The number of contestants will be capped at 100 persons.
The Home Run Challenge will start after the conclusion of the 5:05 p.m. Aug. 3 game at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Jose Canseco, Oakland A’s slugger, will make an appearance to participate in the Home Run Challenge Aug. 3. The event is a benefit for Harvesters.
Canseco, along with professional softball home-run hitter Jeremy Isenhower, will participate in the second and final round of the softball Home Run Challenge.
One of the contestants from the first round will advance to the finals to square off against Canseco and Isenhower.
An artist’s drawing of a new national soccer training facility was on display at a news conference July 23 in Kansas City, Kan. by Mary Rupert
State and local officials were ecstatic July 23 about a new $75 million U.S. Soccer National Training Center complex to be built near the Schlitterbahn at 98th and Parallel Parkway in Kansas City, Kan.
The economic effect of the new soccer village, including new jobs and investment, will be more than $1 billion over 30 years, Gov. Sam Brownback said in a news conference at Sporting Park. The site of the new village is a little over a mile to the northeast of the Sporting Park stadium. Also at the announcement were Sporting Club, Unified Government, Schlitterbahn and EPR Properties officials.
“This high-quality training facility with structured programming, along with Sporting Park, state-of-the-art soccer stadium, will undoubtedly transform Kansas City, Kan., and our region into one of the top soccer venues in the nation,” Mayor Mark Holland said. For Kansas City, Kan., it also will be an opportunity to bring more visitors to the destination who will spend money in the community, he said.
Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman unveiled the project, which will include a 125-room hotel, a 100-square-foot indoor training facility, eight lighted professional fields and eight youth fields. It will also include an indoor pavilion and specialized facilities. He noted that this project was the same as getting another sports franchise here. The completion date is 2016.
The intent of the project, according to officials, is to build a world-class development to train youth and adult players, coaches and referees.
The soccer complex was expanded from its original idea of solely a youth training facility to one encompassing adults, including serving as a host to the national men’s and women’s teams, at youth and adult levels. It also is expected to be used for national soccer training camps, and referee and coach education programs.
“We’ve been committed to bringing world-class destinations to Kansas City, Kan.,” Mayor Holland said. He added Kansas City, Kan., is already No. 1 in the region for soccer, if not the nation. Soccer, a growing sport, also gives youths something to aspire to, he added.
While some of the details still remain to be worked out, and approved by the Unified Government Commission, the project will use sales tax revenue bonds, according to officials.
The process of city and state approvals will probably take 90 days, Heineman said. Simultaneously, design work will be done.
Mayor Holland said the STAR bonds at this new project will not mean any change to the retirement of the Village West STAR bonds, projected in 2017.
The governor said the state of Kansas and local community can make the decision about whether STAR bonds will be issued. State Rep. Tom Burroughs said the state has given discretion to the Kansas secretary of commerce to make those decisions, and the Legislature will not step in unless a question arises.
“We’re all excited,” said Unified Government Commissioner Mike Kane about the new development. Something like this doesn’t come along very often, he added. Commissioner Jim Walters, also at the announcement, said he was glad to see the new development.
State Sen. David Haley said he supported more development in eastern Kansas City, Kan.
While the property for the new training center is in the area originally set aside for the Schlitterbahn, according to Maureen Mahoney, chief of staff for Mayor Holland, there will still be plenty of land available there for more Schlitterbahn expansion.
A resolution to set a public hearing for the proposed STAR bond district and project plans is on the UG agenda for Thursday, July 24, at 7 p.m. If approved, the public hearing date would be Aug. 28. Described in the agenda is a project area between 94th Street and I-435, from Parallel Parkway to State Avenue. Sources said there also is additional land east of 94th Street under negotiation for this project.
Gov. Sam Brownback said Wyandotte County and the state of Kansas could see an economic effect exceeding $1 billion over 30 years with the new U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Kansas City, Kan. (Staff photo) Robb Heineman, CEO of Sporting Club, said this new national soccer training facility project was the equivalent of a new sports franchise here. (Staff photo) Mayor Mark Holland said the new national soccer training center would transform Kansas City, Kan., and the region into one of the top soccer venues in the nation. (Staff photo) David Brain, president and chief executive officer of EPR Properties, and Gary Henry, CEO of Schlitterbahn, attended the announcement. (Staff photo) Talking before the training center news conference were, left to right, Bill Rogers, Unified Government Commissioner Jane Winkler Philbrook, and State Rep. Tom Burroughs. UG Administrator Doug Bach is on the left. (Staff photo) Unified Government agenda documents showed this sketch of the STAR bond district for the national soccer training facility area. Unified Government agenda documents showed this sketch of the national soccer training facility area. Fans walked to the Sporting Kansas City soccer match July 23 at Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kan. (Staff photo)
