The rain and the Cleburne Railroaders (41-47) teamed up to defeat the Kansas City T-Bones (48-39) by a score of 6-3 Monday night in a rain shortened game at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.
Kanasas City starter Calvin Drummond, who was inspiring on four days rest last week against Wichita, got off to a slow start against the Railroaders.
Cleburne took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Nick Van Stratten RBI single and then grabbed another run in the second on a solo home run from Blake Grant-Parks for a 2-0 lead.
The big blow came in a four-run fourth, when Drummond walked the first two batters, Axel Johnson and Blake Grant-Parks, to start the inning.
Alex Polston moved the runners to second and third on a sacrifice bunt for Cleburne. Alex Polston then singled to right to score one run, Maikol Gonzalez grounded to first to score another run, and it was 4-0 Railroaders.
Mitch Glasser singled to right to score Polston and the lead was 5-0. Glasser stole second and went to third on an error from catcher Zane Chavez.
Nick Van Stratten walked to put runners at the corners. Geraldo Valentin then hit a ball to short that went through shortstop Paul Hendrix for an error to score the sixth run for Cleburne.
The T-Bones had their chances all night. In the first the team got a leadoff double from Cedric Hunter and moved him to third, only to see him get thrown out at home on a ground ball to third by Kevin Keyes.
In the second the T-Bones loaded the bases off left-hander Will Mathis on three consecutive hits but did not score. In the third, once again the team got two on with one out, but could not muster the big hit.
Finally, as the rains were rolling fast from the west, the T-Bones scrambled to get back in the game in the fifth by scoring three runs.
Dexter Kjerstad had an RBI double to left to cut the deficit to 6-1. Kyle Petty also picked up an RBI single and Zane Chavez picked up an RBI on a ground out fielder’s choice to first.
After Drummond got the final out of the top of the sixth the rains came and the field was covered. After a short wait, the game was called and the Railroaders had won their first game in their first trip ever to CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
The loss was the T-Bones’ eighth in their last 10 games and they wasted a chance to take back the Wild Card lead in the American Association after Gary fell earlier in the day to Lincoln. The T-Bones still trail Gary by a half game and lead Fargo-Moorhead by a half game. Drummond dropped to (6-3) while the winner was Carlos Misell (2-2) for Cleburne.
The two teams play game two of the three game series Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Right-handed pitcher Dylan Mouzakes (4-4, 4.09) gets the start for Cleburne while the T-Bones will send out left-handed pitcher Billy Waltrip (1-6, 6.55).
Tickets are available online, by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting in person the Providence Medical Center Box Office.
– Story from T-Bones