Category: T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones (25-15) came into the series in Cleburne hotter than the Texas heat, but the Cleburne Railroaders (15-25) used a three-run fifth inning to put the T-Bones on ice in a 5-2 series-clinching win Sunday night at Cleburne.

The game initially looked promising as the T-Bones were the first to score in the top of the third with an RBI single by Dylan Tice, his twelfth of the season, off Cleburne’s starting pitcher Jared Mortensen.

The Railroaders were quick, however, to answer with a solo home run by Levi Scott, hit off T-Bones’ starting pitcher Hunter Adkins, tying the game 1-1 in the home half of the third.

The T-Bones took the lead again in the fourth with their own solo home run by Zach Walters.

The lead did not last as Cleburne turned up the heat with a three-run home run hit by Cameron Monger to center field, off relief pitcher Francisco Gracesqui (2-3), who is credited with the loss. The score was 4-2 in favor of Cleburne.

From there Mortensen took over and held the T-Bones’ league-leading offense in check before leaving with two on and two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

The Railroaders’ John Menken launched another home run to buy an insurance run in the eighth inning off left-handed pitcher Joe Filomeno, making it 5-2 Cleburne.

A double by T-Bones’ Nick Torres in the sixth looked promising, but he was left stranded on third unable to be brought home.

The T-Bones had runners on base again in the seventh, but a strikeout of Tice kept Mason Davis and Tucker Pennell stranded on first and second.

Todd Cunningham, who was instrumental in the T-Bones’ win the previous game, went 1-for-4, coming on the heels of the American Association naming him player of the month earlier in the day.

Another noticeable absence was the Railroaders MLB veteran Rafael Palmeiro, who was moved to the disabled list shortly before the game started, and the only healthy extra man was manager Shelby Ford, who was signed to a contract before the game.

Stand-out pitching by Cleburne’s starting pitcher Jared Mortensen, who is credited with the win, kept Cleburne in the driver’s seat.

The former T-Bone threw 136 pitches while striking out 11, going eight innings for the win. Mortensen was a late acquisition by KC in 2017, making two starts for the T-Bones and going 0-0 with 12 innings, giving up 10 earned runs with a 7.50 ERA.

Shawn Blackwell came in the ninth to get the final out with two on and two out and the T-Bones batting the tying run.

The T-Bones’ loss in Cleburne marks the end of their three-series win streak and nine-game win streak was halted on Friday in a 14-13 loss.

The T-Bones will face the Sioux Falls Canaries, at 7:05 p.m. Monday, July 2, at T-Bones Stadium in Kansas City, Kansas.

Individual tickets, season, group, mini-plans and nightly party suites are on sale and can be purchased by visiting the box office at T-Bones Stadium or www.tbonesbaseball.com. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The T-Bones games are airing on the T-Bones Broadcast Network, http://mixlr.com/t-bones-baseball/.
– Story from T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones (25-14) got the bats going early in the Texas heat against the Cleburne Railroaders (14-25) on Saturday night to even the series with a 7-4 win.

Todd Cunningham lead off the first inning with a single that brought Nick Torres to the plate.

Torres then drove in Cunningham with a triple to put Kansas City on the board off Cleburne starter Michael Gunn. A fielder’s choice to short from Zach Walters drove in Torres to put the T-Bones ahead 2-0.

Cleburne made a comeback in the third inning with help from Blake Grant-Parks and K.C. Huth, who both singled to start the inning against T-Bones right-hander Tommy Collier.

Trevor Sealey was next up to the plate and advanced to first on a fielder’s choice. Levi Scott drove in two runs off a much-needed double from Levi Scott to tie the game at two.

In the sixth inning, Todd Cunningham singled for Kansas City. Zach Walters then advanced to first on a fielder’s choice putting Cunningham in scoring position.

A walk from Taylor Featherston loaded the bases and brought Dexter Kjerstad to the plate. A wild pitch from Will Mathis advanced all runners and scored Cunningham to increase the T-Bones lead to 3-2.

A sacrifice fly from Adrien Nieto and a single from Tucker Pennell brought in Walters and Featherston to make the score 5-2.

Cleburne didn’t stay quiet for long. A two-run home run from former T-Bone Angel Rosa put the Railroaders right back in the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with KC leading, 5-4.

The T-Bones’ seventh and eighth innings proved to be the difference maker in this matchup.

A sacrifice fly to left field from Zach Walters drove in Dylan Tice in the top of the seventh, followed by a ground-rule double from Cunningham in the eighth that would score Mason Davis, giving Kansas City a 7-4 lead.

Kansas City’s Tommy Collier (3-3) got the win and Carlos Diaz came in to close the game, earning his sixth save of the season. Cleburne’s Michael Gunn was credited with the loss, dropping his record to 1-1.

Sunday’s rubber match will be at The Depot at Cleburne Station in Cleburne, Texas. The first pitch is 6:05 p.m., and the game will be on the T-Bones Broadcast Network at on http://mixlr.com/t-bones-baseball/.

Right-handed pitcher Hunter Adkins (1-2, 4.29) of Kansas City will face right-handed pitcher Jared Mortenson (1-2, 2.50) in the series finale.

Individual tickets, season, group, mini-plans and nightly party suites are on sale and can be purchased by visiting the box office at T-Bones Stadium or www.tbonesbaseball.com. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

– Story from T-Bones

The Kansas City T-Bones offense did their part Friday night in Texas, scoring 13 runs, but it was not enough as the Cleburne Railroaders blistered the Kansas City pitching staff for 14 runs.

Cleburne came back from deficits of 4-0, 5-4, 9-7 and 13-7 to win it 14-13 in walk-off fashion.

T-Bones got on the board early in Texas with Dylan Tice scoring on an RBI double from Todd Cunningham. He went home when Zach Walters hit a single and Keith Curcio’s double sends Walters and Taylor Featherston home to put the T-Bones up 4-0.

The Railroaders tied it up quickly with T-Bones pitcher James Buckelew allowing two home runs in a row. Buckelew continued to struggle, ultimately being replaced by Jackson Lowery in the bottom of the second.

The T-Bones were able to take back the lead in the third, with Adrian Nieto scoring on a wild pitch, putting the score at KC 5, Cleburne 4.

The back-and-forth continued with neither team breaking away as the Railroaders scored one in the bottom of the third to tie it back up and then took the lead in the bottom of the third, Cleburne 6, KC 5.

The T-Bones were not to be outdone, however, and after struggling in the fourth, they scored four in the top of the fifth to take back the lead. Nieto, Curcio, and Davis got the RBIs in the electric inning for the T-Bones.

The inning started with a Zach Walters double, and the hits just kept coming. Featherston singled, as did Nieto and Curcio. Kjerstad walked and Davis hit the double that sent Nieto and Curcio home. Todd Cunningham was the last T-Bone to get a hit for the inning, but they were stopped at four runs, putting them up KC 9, Cleburne 7.

Mazzoccoli came in to pitch for the T-Bones to start the bottom of the fifth and got two of the three outs with strikeouts. The sixth inning was scoreless for the T-Bones and the Railroaders.

In the seventh the T-Bones really let loose, Dylan Tice scoring one and Adrian Nieto smashing a three-run home run, KC 13, Cleburne 7.

A grand slam home run put Cleburne back in contention, but they weren’t able to eclipse the T-Bones’ lead. Sam Street came in to pitch in the bottom of the eighth and walked his first two hitters before the Railroaders tied it, KC 13, Cleburne 13. All tied heading into the bottom of the ninth, with two outs Cleburne hit a home run and broke the T-Bones nine-game win streak. The two teams will face off again at 7:06 p.m. June 30 in Cleburne, Texas.

Season, group, mini-plans and nightly party suites are on sale and can be purchased by visiting the Box Office at T-Bones Stadium. Call the box office at 913-328-5618 or purchase and print at www.tbonesbaseball.com. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The T-Bones games are airing on the T-Bones Broadcast Network, http://mixlr.com/t-bones-baseball/.
– Story from T-Bones