The T-Bones (31-30) pitching staff was on fire Thursday night as Kansas City took the second game of the three-game series with the Sioux Falls Canaries (29-34), thanks to a combined 17 strikeouts, a season high for the T-Bones.
Jose Mesa Jr. started off strong, striking out the first Canaries batter, Brett Vertigan, looking to avoid another T-Bones first inning fiasco. Danger brewed as two runners got on board, but Mesa managed to dodge any damage.
In the top of the second inning, Casey Gillaspie hit a solo shot to left off Alex Boshers, his eighth home run on the year, giving the T-Bones an early lead, 1-0.
The middle innings were nothing short of a fireworks show of strikeouts by Jose Mesa Jr, who continued to throw strike after strike after strike, 13 total, keeping the birds off of the scoreboard.
In the seventh inning, Gillaspie got a double, followed by a stolen base that brought him to 3rd. Correa’s deep drive sacrifice fly brought Gillaspie home, buying the insurance and making it 2-0, KC.
Brian Ellington took over for Mesa Jr after six innings and kept the T-Bones’ advantage, throwing strikeouts as well.
On the night, the T-Bones left four men on base, struggling once again to bring players home, making the pitching the driving force of the game.
In the 9th, again it was Casey Gillaspie who hit a 2-run home run, driving in Nava who reached first on a walk by Boshers, making the score 4-0, KC. Gillaspie becomes the first T-Bone to have a multi-homerun ballgame this season.
Carlos Diaz came in to shut the cage door on the Canaries, but it looked dicey for the T-Bones as he walked two runners and allowed two hits. With Canaries on every bag, Diaz calmed the rocky start and ended the game, 4-0, getting win 998 for Joe Calfapietra, Mesa Jr. (1-0) got the win for the T-Bones, and Alex Boshers of Sioux Falls dropped to 4-3.
KC will return for the rubber match game of the series at 7:05 p.m. Friday, July 26. Right-handed pitcher Tommy Collier (6-4, 3.97) will start for the T-Bones, and right-handed pitcher Ryan Froom (0-2, 6.23) will get the nod for the Canaries. The game will be on the T-Bones Broadcast Network at http://mixlr.com/t-bones-baseball/.
The T-Bones will head to CHS Field in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 27 for a three-game series against the Saints but will return home on June 30 to face the Sioux Falls Canaries in a three-game series at JustBats Field at T-Bones Stadium.
Tickets to all T-Bones home games can be purchased online, 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