Starting pitcher Drew Gay had a rough first outing for Kansas City as Fargo-Moorhead scored 10 runs in two innings and ended up beating the T-Bones, 16-4, on Sunday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Fargo’s offense jumped on Gay, whom Kansas City acquired from St. Paul on Friday, with a four-run first inning.
After a lead-off walk by Zach Penprase and a double by Drew Muren, the RedHawks scored their first two runs on a passed ball and a ground out. Charlie Valerio then blasted a two-run home run over the right field fence, giving Fargo a 4-0 lead.
Kansas City trailed the rest of the game, unable to fight back offensively, but, more importantly, the T-Bones were unable to stop Fargo’s offense.
After Kansas City scored single runs on an RBI single by Adam Bailey and an RBI double by Brent Peterson in the first and second innings, the RedHawks added six more runs in the fourth. The RedHawks sent 10 batters to the plate.
After Joe Bonfe led off the inning with a double against Gay and scored on a sacrifice by Taylor Oldham, Ryan Pineda scored on a wild pitch, and then Michael Wing singled to left, scoring both Oldham and Drew Muren, who walked against reliever Josh Tols. Luke Bailey then knocked a two-run home run off Tols over the left field wall that gave Fargo a 10-2 lead.
Gay allowed seven runs on five hits, including Valerio’s home run in the first. He also walked three and struck out four in 3 1/3 innings pitched. Tols didn’t fare any better, giving up six runs on five hits, including the home run to Bailey, in 2 2/3 innings.
The RedHawks extended their lead 13-2 in the sixth as Valerio drove in Muren and Luke Bailey on a two-out double to deep left, and Bonfe drove in Valerio on a single up the middle.
The T-Bones threatened in the bottom of the sixth as Brent Peterson faced a no-out, bases-loaded situation, but grounded into a double play and was only able to drive in Adam Bailey, making the score 13-3. Alex Marquez then hit an RBI single to center, scoring Robby Kuzdale, who had singled, making the score 13-4.
Luke Bailey hit his second home run of the game, a solo shot off reliever Mike Nannini, that gave Fargo a 14-4 lead. Penprase’s two-run double drove in the last two runs of the night, making the final score 16-4.
The T-Bones (39-31) are scheduled to play the final game of the three-game series against Fargo-Moorhead (24-48) on Monday at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are available by calling the box office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618.
T-Bones win wild series opener Saturday
The T-Bones won a wild series opener against Fargo-Moorhead, defeating the RedHawks 6-4 on Saturday night in front of 6,591 fans at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Even though the two teams combined for 10 runs, the only time they weren’t tied or within one run of each other was when Fargo took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth (Kansas City added a run in the bottom of the inning) and in the bottom of the eighth, when the T-Bones took their decisive 6-4 lead.
After three scoreless innings, the RedHawks tacked two runs to the board in the top of the fourth on two-out, back-to-back home runs by Charlie Valerio and Joe Bonfe against Kansas City starter Kris Regas.
The T-Bones cut the RedHawks’ lead in half, 2-1, in the bottom of the fourth as Jake Blackwood hit an RBI double to center, scoring Nate Tenbrink, who had singled to right.
Jacob Hayes tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth on a wild play. After leading off the inning with an infield bunt and then stealing second, the throw from catcher Valerio went into center field. Hayes started to advance to third but headed back to second, as the throw to third from centerfielder Drew Muren sailed into the RedHawks’ dugout. Hayes was awarded two bases, which tied the game.
Kansas City drove in only one run in the bottom of the sixth, despite two batters facing a bases-loaded situation. Hayes drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Adam Bailey and gave the T-Bones their first lead of the night, 3-2. The T-Bones found themselves in a bases-loaded situation three times throughout the game, but were only able to drive in two in that situation.
Kansas City’s lead was short-lived, however, as Fargo quickly took back the lead in the top of the seventh as both Taylor Oldham and Muren scored on sacrifices, which gave the RedHawks a 4-3 lead.
The T-Bones fought back and took the lead once again, however, 5-4, in the bottom of the seventh as Blackwood drove in Sergio Leon on an RBI single to left and Tenbrink, whom Fargo walked to get to Blackwood, scored on a wild pitch.
The T-Bones extended their lead in the bottom of the eighth as Hayes scored on Robby Kuzdale’s RBI double, making the final score 6-4.
Aaron Baker (3) struck out the side in the ninth, helping the T-Bones snap a three-game losing streak.
Regas, who allowed two runs on eight hits, struck out a season-high seven in 6 innings.
– Information from T-Bones