Category: T-Bones

by Sophie Darting

On a night where the Kansas City T-Bones’ bullpen coughed up the lead once again in the ninth inning, it was Roy Morales who played hero for the T-Bones as they walked off the Cleburne Railroaders, 10-9, in the opening game of the series.

Christian Binford (1-0) turned in a dominant starting pitching performance, and the Kansas City T-Bones’ (16-16) offense produced 17 hits, but the last hit was the most important.

After both starting pitchers threw a scoreless frame in the first inning, Shawn O’Malley got the T-Bones offense started in the bottom of the second when he crushed a ball to deep center field for his first home run of the season and gave Kansas City a 1-0 lead over Cleburne (15-19).

The Railroaders responded with a run of their own in the top of the third. After Binford hit Daniel Robertson and walked Zach Nehrir, a single by Chase Simpson scored Robertson and tied the game at 1-1.

Cleburne had two runners on base and only one out, but Binford buckled down and struck out the next two batters he faced to limit the damage and keep the game tied.

Kansas City eventually increased its lead to 7-1, but saw it slowly start to diminish as the game went on.

Cleburne started to fight back in the top of the seventh, increasing its score to 7-5 but still trailing behind the T-Bones. Nick Rotola advanced to first on a fielder’s choice, letting Grant Buck score. Then, Rotola advanced to second on a wild pitch by Binford, letting Clanin score. Simpson hit a double to left field, advancing both Robertson and Rotola to home.

In the bottom of the seventh, Casey Gillaspie hit a double to center field advancing both Tice and Nava home, making Kansas City’s score, 9-5.

The Railroaders scored again in the top of the eighth, 9-6, and got three more runs in the top of the ninth off Marc Magliaro (4-2) to tie the game with a trio of RBI-singles by K.C. Huth, Rotola and Robertson.

When things seemed bleak for the T-Bones, Tice gave them hope leading off the bottom of the ninth with a walk. After he stole second, the Railroaders’ reliever, Tyler Wilson (2-2) intentionally walked Gillaspie and proceeded to hit Sparks to load the bases.

Roy Morales stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, and ended the game with a single to left field that scored Tice to win the games for Kansas City.

The Kansas City T-Bones and the Cleburne Railroaders will continue their series at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, June 22.

Full and half-season 2019 ticket packages as well as mini plans are on sale online or by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting the Saint Luke’s Box Office between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Group ticket sales are also on sale.

• Story from T-Bones

by Sophie Darting

The rubber match of the series between the Kansas City T-Bones and the Sioux City Explorers was a dogfight, with both teams playing for the series victory. In the end, the Explorers broke the T-Bones’ hearts when they stunned them for three runs in the top of the ninth to steal the game and the series away from Kansas City.

Kansas City (15-16) hurler Erik Manoah (1-0) was shaky to begin the first inning, allowing a leadoff walk to Kyle Wren that would eventually come around to score off of a wild pitch, a stolen base, and an RBI-ground out by Nate Samson to give Sioux City (17-17) a 1-0 lead.

The T-Bones made it a new ballgame in the bottom of the first when Dylan Tice took a one-out walk, and then Casey Gillaspie drove him in with a double down the right field line to even the score.

After throwing a scoreless frame in the second, Manoah ran into trouble again in the top of the third. A two-run shot by Wren and a solo home run by Samson gave the Explorers a three-run lead, 4-1.

Sioux City starting pitcher Eric Karch (0-3) settled down after allowing an earned run in the first inning, and he went on to pitch four scoreless innings before the T-Bones got to him for a second time.

A one-out walk to Gillaspie was followed by a ground-rule double to center by Taylor Sparks. After Shawn O’Malley walked to load the bases, the T-Bones offense was back in business.

Forresst Allday hit a double into the gap in center field that cleared the bases and tied the game at four runs each.

The game remained tied until the top of the ninth inning, when Kansas City sent reliever Nathan Foriest (0-1) to the mound. The inning started out harmless, with a leadoff single by Jose Sermo off the first pitch that he saw. Then a series of back-to-back-to-back walks allowed the Explorers to score the go-ahead run, while still having the bases loaded and nobody out.

Robert Calvano (0-2) came in to relieve Foriest and forced a double play that allowed another run to cross the plate and Sioux City padded their lead on an RBI double by Dylan Kelly that put them up 7-4.

The T-Bones found themselves down three runs with only three outs remaining and the bottom of the order batting. Kansas City was unable to get a man on base in the bottom of the ninth, and fell to Sioux City in the series finale.

The Kansas City T-Bones will play host to the Cleburne Railroaders in a three-game series starting at 7:05 p.m. Friday, June 21.

Full and half-season 2019 ticket packages as well as mini plans are on sale online or by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting the Saint Luke’s Box Office between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Group ticket sales are also on sale.

• Story from T-Bones

by Sophie Darting

The Kansas City T-Bones’ bullpen and a six-run first inning were not enough to defeat one of the hottest teams in the league, the Sioux City Explorers, who extended their winning streak to seven games on their way to beating the T-Bones, 7-6, in game one of a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon.

Sioux City (16-16) attacked first, jumping on Kansas City starter Henry Owens (0-0) early in the top of the first tinning. After a walk, a stolen base, and an infield single, Jose Sermo of the Explorers roped a single into left field to score Michael Lang to give Sioux City the early lead, 1-0.

The T-Bones (14-15) responded with a big inning of their own, putting up a six-spot. After Danny Mars lined out to start the inning, Kansas City batted around the lineup, and eight straight Kansas City players reached base on their way to scoring six in the bottom of the first.

Dylan Tice walked and stole second, then Daniel Nava ripped a single into right field that scored Tice and tied the ballgame at one run apiece. Another walk, this time by Casey Gillaspie, put runners on first and second with Taylor Sparks batting.

In his 2019 T-Bones debut, Sparks lined a single into left field and Nava scored, but Sparks did not get the RBI credit owing to an error by Sioux City. The T-Bones got another run when Shawn O’Malley singled to score Gillaspie to make it 3-1, T-Bones.

Christian Correa launched his second home run of the season off the first pitch that he saw to deep left field. The three-run shot gave the T-Bones a commanding 6-1 lead after the first inning.

Kansas City did not score again during the contest because of Explorers’ relief pitcher Carlos Sierra (0-0), who threw five scoreless innings in relief, only allowing one hit. Sierra allowed Sioux City to drive in six unanswered runs and silenced the T-Bones’ bats.

The Explorers scored one run in the second inning and three runs in the top of the third, but the real damage came in the top of the seventh inning, off relief pitcher Marc Magliaro (2-2).

Kansas City’s relief pitching had been shutting down the Explorers’ offense all morning after Owens exited the game, with Robert Calvano and Nick Lee each throwing a pair of scoreless innings.

With the T-Bones nursing a one-run lead, Sioux City stunned the T-Bones bullpen in the top of the seventh inning. After a pair of two-out singles off reliever Magliaro, Zawada doubled to center field, and the Explorers took the lead, 7-6.

The T-Bones were unable to answer the two runs that the Explorers drove in during the top of the seventh and dropped the first game of the doubleheader.

T-Bones take second game

by Gabby Albertson

The Kansas City T-Bones took on game two of the doubleheader with the Sioux City Explorers Wednesday, June 19. After a loss in the first game of the day, they were ready to get back on the field to win, and that’s exactly what they did, making the game score 4-3.

Sioux City made it on the board first with a score of 3-0. Nate Samson hit a single, allowing Kyle Wren to run home. Then, Adam Sasser hit a double, letting Jose Sermo run home as well. Then Samson scored on a sacrifice fly by Stankiewicz.

Kansas City attempted to score in the bottom of the third when Ramsey Romano hit a single and then stole second base, but with no hits to back him up, he didn’t make it home.

Then, in the bottom of the fourth, Casey Gillaspie hit a single, but nothing came of it since no other hitter was able to make it to base.

After a few innings, the T-Bones made it 3-3, tying the game in the bottom of the fifth. Romano hit a single, giving Correa an opportunity to score. Then, Danny Mars hit a double, allowing Brett to score. After that, Mars stole third base and then scored on an error by the catcher, Justin Felix.

Breaking the tie was Dylan Tice as he hit a single, letting Brett score in the bottom of the seventh to walk it off.

The T-Bones and the Sioux City Explorers will finish the three-game series on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. at T-Bones Stadium in Kansas City, Kansas.

Full and half-season 2019 ticket packages as well as mini plans are on sale online or by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting the Saint Luke’s Box Office between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Group ticket sales are also on sale.

• Story from T-Bones