Tickets to the playoffs are $8 each and are available by calling 913-328-5618 or visiting the Saint Luke’s Box Office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
T-Bones drop last regular home game, but will go to playoffs Wednesday
Category: T-Bones
Dramatic game ends in division title for T-Bones
by Gabby Albertson
The Kansas City T-Bones clinched the American Association Southern Division Championship Sunday night in a 13-inning thriller at T-Bones Stadium.
The T-Bones won 6-5 over the Sioux City Explorers after coming back from a 5-0 deficit. Casey Gillaspie was the hero as he hit a game-winning RBI single that scored Stewart Ijames in the 13th.
The T-Bones will play their last regular home game at T-Bones Stadium at 1:05 p.m. Monday. Tickets already are going on sale for post-season games at 7:05 p.m. Sept. 7, 5:05 p.m. Sept. 8 and 7:05 p.m. Sept 9 if necessary at T-Bones Stadium.
In Sunday’s game, the T-Bones attempted to score first as Casey Gillaspie hit a single off of X’s starting pitcher Taylor Jordan. Then, Omar Carrizales hit a single that advanced Gillaspie to third. With one out left to end the inning Ramsey Romano came up to bat, but was unable to score, leaving the inning scoreless.
Sioux City grabbed the lead in the top of the third, leaving the T-Bones in the dust when Justin Felix hit a home run, making the score 1-0.
In the top of the fourth, Sebastian Zawada hit a single for the Explorers that advanced Jeremy Hazelbaker to second and sent Nate Samson home. Then, Dylan Kelly hit a single that advanced Zawada to second and scored Hazelbaker, making the score 3-0.
The Explorers continued to dominate offensively in the fifth, starting with Kyle Wren who hit a single. Then, Drew Stankiewicz hit a double that advanced Wren to second. Shortly after, Samson hit a double that scored both Wren and Stankiewicz, extending the lead for the Explorers, 5-0.
The T-Bones made it on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Stewart Ijames hit a single, and then later Daniel Nava hit a single that advanced Ijames to third. Gillaspie then hit a single that advanced Nava to second and scored Ijames, making it 5-1.
Kansas City brought the game back to life when Ijames hit his first home field home run for the T-Bones in the bottom of the seventh, chipping their way back, 5-2.
Later, the heat got turned up to sizzle for the T-Bones when Christian Correa hit a single and then advanced to second on a fielders choice by Danny Mars. Then, Romano hit a double that scored Correa, making it 5-3 in the bottom of the eighth.
And finally, in dramatic fashion, Casey Gillaspie came to bat with two outs, crushing a two-run home run that scored Ijames and tied the game 5-5 for the T-Bones in the bottom of the ninth.
After three scoreless extra innings, Stewart Ijames advanced to first on an infield single, followed by Nava who advanced on a hit-by-a-pitch. Then again, Casey Gillaspie was the hero as he hit a game-winning RBI single that scored Ijames, and the T-Bones walked it off division champions, 6-5.
The winning pitcher was Evan Korson (3-1) for the Kansas City T-Bones, and the losing pitcher was Ryan Flores (3-3) for the Sioux City Explorers.
Attendance at Sunday’s game was 4,593.
Monday’s game will be carried on the T-Bones Broadcast Network, http://mixlr.com/t-bones-baseball/.
For ticket information, call 913-328-5618 or visit the Saint Luke’s Box Office between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Story from T-Bones
T-Bones climb into first place in division with 3-2 win in 10 innings
by G.M. Vaughan
The T-Bones broke a three-way tie for first place on Saturday evening with a 3-2 win in 10 innings in Kansas City, Kansas.
Stewart Ijames got the winning single in the 10th inning for the T-Bones, scoring Dylan Tice for the win.
At a time when every game feels like a playoff game because the stakes are so high for each team, Saturday’s game between Eric Karch, pitching for Sioux City Explorers, and Akeem Bostick, pitching for the Kansas City T-Bones, felt like everything was on the line.
After seven strike-outs in a row, Akeem Bostick left the ballgame, apparently injured, bringing Henry Owens to the mound in the top of the third. And after a walk to Dylan Kelley, and a bunt by Kyle Wren that advanced him to second, the Explorers threatened early, but the T-Bones defense kept them from scoring.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Stewart Ijames hit a single to the shortstop and advanced to first. A base hit by Nava sent Ijames to third. And with T-Bones on the corners, Casey Gillaspie got on base and drove in Ijames for a 1-0 T-Bones lead.
A walk for Sebastian Zawada and a single to left field by Dylan Kelly helped the Exes charge back in the top of the fifth. Kyle Wren got a double, bringing Zawada home, tying the game 1-1. After a 3-1 groundout fielder’s choice, Drew Stankiewicz got Kelly home, and the Exes took the lead 2-1.
The T-Bones responded quickly, with a single by Omar Carrizales and another by Ramsey Romano. With T-Bones on the corners again, a Dylan Tice base hit brought home Carrizales, tying the game 2-2.
After several innings of great defensive playing, the T-Bones and Exes were tied at the end of nine innings. But things turned around quickly in the tenth inning. Tice advanced to first when hit by a pitch by Jose Velez and then stole second base.
And finally, Ijames got the game-winning RBI as he hit a single that brought Tice home, and the T-Bones walked it off, winning 3-2, and securing first place—all alone—in the South.
The winning pitcher for the T-Bones was Hunter Smith (1-0), and the losing pitcher was Jose Velez (2-1) for the Explorers.
The T-Bones and Exes still have two more games to play to finish out the season, with the third game of the four-game series starting at 7:05 p.m. Sunday in Kansas City, Kansas. On Monday, Labor Day, they will play at 1:05 p.m. at T-Bones Stadium. The games will be on the T-Bones Broadcast Network, http://mixlr.com/t-bones-baseball/.
Tickets to all T-Bones home games 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. For more information, see www.tbonesbaseball.com.
- Story from T-Bones