KC sweeps South Division playoffs
The Kansas City Monarchs won the South Division championship series in only three games, beating the Sioux City Explorers 14-2 on Monday night.
The Monarchs now will go on to the American Association Championship Series. They will play either the Chicago Dogs or the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, who are 1-1 in the North Division. Monday’s game between the Dogs and RedHawks was rained out.
The Monarchs got enough runs – six—in the first inning to win the game Monday, but they went on to get another six runs in the third and two more when Darnell Sweeney hit a home run in the eighth.
The bases were loaded in the first inning after Ryan Grotjohn walked and two Monarchs players, Sweeney and Casey Gillaspie, were hit by pitches. There were two outs when the first run was scored on a bases-loaded walk to Ibandel Isabel. Another run walked in, then Paulo Orlando hit a single to score two more. Alexis Olmeda hit a double to score the final two runs of the inning.
The Monarchs had 14 runs on 14 hits in the game, while Sioux City had two runs on seven hits.
Justin Donatella, Monarchs pitcher, got the win after six innings and five strikeouts.
The first two games of the American Association Championship Series will be away on Sept. 17 and 18.
Game 3 will be at home on Monday, Sept. 20, in Kansas City, Kansas. If needed, Game 4 will be at home on Tuesday, Sept. 21. Game 5, if needed, is scheduled Wednesday, Sept. 22.
Tickets to Monarchs home championship games are online at https://monarchsbaseball.com/postseason-2021/.