A night after a heartbreaking loss and with Sioux City (9-3) in control most of the night, the Kansas City T-Bones (7-4) looked like they might be in trouble Tuesday night at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park, Sioux City, Iowa.
The T-Bones, trailing by four runs in the ninth, scored five runs capped by a Dexter Kjerstad three-run blast to left to win the game 7-6 over the Explorers.
The ninth inning seemed so far off while Sioux City starter Taylor Jordan was retiring 15 T-Bones batters in a row.
The right-hander and former big leaguer gave up one hit through seven innings. The T-Bones did not have a runner reach after a leadoff single in the second all the way through one out in the eighth.
Dylan Tice hit a ground ball to second base that Jose Sermo let skip through his legs for the first base runner since the second.
While Jordan was holding the T-Bones offense off the board and bases, Sioux City scored a pair of runs for him in the bottom of the first. Luis Durango and Michael Lang each singled off Hunter Adkins of Kansas City.
Adkins attempted to pick off Durango at second and threw to center field to allow both runners to move up a base. After a pop out to short, Nate Samson drove in both runs for a 2-0 lead. Sioux City took a 4-0 lead in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Daniel Jackson and an RBI single from Durango.
In the fifth, what looked like a possible knockout punch came from Samson. Lang was hit by a pitch to start the innings. Then the veteran shortstop drove home Lang on an RBI single to make it 5-0 X’s.
In the eighth Kansas City finally got going against Jordan. Dylan Tice reached on an error from Jose Sermo and was followed by a single from Zach Walters. Nick Torres then knocked in Tice to cut the lead to 5-1 with a single.
Cal Towey then singled, scoring Walters, but a good throw from right fielder Michael Lang got Torres at the plate to keep the game 5-2 Sioux City.
In the bottom of the eighth, Jose Sermo hit a solo homer to left off Pasquale Mazzoccoli to give Sioux City what looked like a huge insurance run. Geoff Broussard took over for Jordan in the top of the ninth.
Dylan Tice doubled to left center to start the rally. Broussard struck out Zach Walters, but then walked Nick Torres and Cal Towey to load the bases. Adrian Nieto singled through the “five-six” hole to score two runs and make it 6-4.
Tyler Fallwell was summoned into the game for Sioux City. The right hander struck out Angel Rosa but then gave up the three-run eventual game winning blast by Dexter Kjerstad to make it 7-6.
Francisco Gracesqui retired the first two he faced then allowed a two out-walk to Nate Samson. The left-hander then retired Jay Baum on a pop fly by the T-Bones first base dugout that Cal Towey made a sliding play running out of room in the field ending the game.
Mazzoccoli (2-0) was the relief winner while Fallwell was charged with the loss. Gracesqui earned his second save. Kansas City will continue the club’s seven-game road trip Wednesday night with game three of the four-game series. The game can be heard online on the T-Bones Broadcast Network with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. in Sioux City.
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.
– Story from T-Bones