SATURDAY: The T-Bones committed six errors over the first three innings, but a trio of homers helped them overcome the mistakes and take the final game of the series from Wichita, 5-2, in front of 7,718 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on Saturday night.
Wichita was up 2-0 before recently acquired Kansas City catcher Pat Trettel smacked a home run – his first hit of the season with his new club – and pulled the T-Bones within 2-1 in the bottom of the third.
First baseman Trevor Coleman led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo blast, tying the game at 2-2, before Trettel scored on a fielder’s choice by Devin Goodwin.
Kansas City began the bottom of the sixth with yet another bases-empty homer – this one by Lee Cruz, who also hit one out during Friday night’s game – that stretched its advantage to 4-2.
With the win, the T-Bones pulled to within four games of the division-leading Wingnuts. Kansas City took three of four in the home-and-home series, going 1-1 at Wichita and 2-0 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Kansas City (30-26) has Sunday off before beginning a three-game homestand against Sioux City on Monday night.
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FRIDAY: One night after beating Wingnuts in 12 innings in Wichita, the T-Bones scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth on Friday night and beat the Wingnuts 9-8 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in the second half of a home-and-home series.
By the way, the T-Bones forced themselves into a comeback after giving up five runs in the top of the ninth inning.
“To give up five runs in the top of the ninth is something you don’t want to sit through,” manager Kenny Hook said. “The nice thing is how we handled the disappointment of giving up that lead, still being able to keep our heads up and battle back to get the win. It shows a lot about the fight in our team, so that was very pleasing to see them get that game back.”
After Kansas City starter Shaun Garceau had a solid seven-inning night, allowing three runs while striking out seven and walking only one, the T-Bones held a 6-3 lead going into the ninth.
In the top of the inning, T-Bones reliever Sean Toler loaded the bases, walking one batter, allowing a single and hitting a batter. Matt Foust replaced Toler, but two more singles and a double helped the Wingnuts pull even and eventually take an 8-6 lead.
Kansas City, however, rallied against Wichita pitcher Matt Nevarez (3-2) when Brandon Jones, who had been hitless in four trips to the plate, smacked a two-run triple, scoring Devin Goodwin and Justin Bass and tying the game at 8-8.
The Wingnuts intentionally walked Lee Cruz, who had already hit a home run during his first game back with the T-Bones since May, to face Ray Sadler. After chasing two high fastballs, Sadler poked a single to right, scoring Jones for the winning run.
The Wingnuts struck first with an RBI single by Jared McDonald in the top of the second inning, but the lead would not last long.
In the fourth inning the T-Bones scored four runs on four hits, pulling ahead of Wichita 4-1. Enrique Cruz doubled in Lee Cruz for Kansas City’s first run of the night, and a homer to right field by Hunter Mense drove in Trevor Coleman and Enrique Cruz, spotting the T-Bones their three-run advantage.
