By MATT FULKS, tbonesbaseball.com
A three-run mammoth home run in the second inning from Stephen Douglas was enough for the Lincoln Saltdogs to ride out a 6-3 win against the Kansas City T-Bones Wednesday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
The moon shot, which flew over the berm in right field and smacked the clubhouse, added to the one-run lead Lincoln built in the first inning, and made the score 4-0.
“That wasn’t a bad pitch, necessarily, but (Douglas) went down and got it and drove it out,” said T-Bones manager Kenny Hook. “That was the difference in the game.”
T-Bones starter Aaron Meade (1-1), who entered the game with a win and 0.00 ERA, never did find a rhythm against the Lincoln lineup. Meade, a Kansas City area native, gave up runs in the first, second, and fourth innings before being pulled for reliever Ethan Cole.
Saltdogs starter Pete Parise (2-0) navigated through 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits.
Jairo Perez put Kansas City on the board in the fifth with a two-run home run, his third consecutive game with a homer. But Parise recovered and retired the next two batters and stymied the T-Bones attempt at a rally.
Devin Goodwin drove in Matt Padgett in the eighth inning for Kansas City’s third run, but the T-Bones ended the ninth with two runners in scoring position.
After an off day, the T-Bones return to CommunityAmerica Ballpark to take on Gary SouthShore on Friday at 7:05 p.m.
Tickets are available by calling the Providence Medical Center Box Office at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at 913-328-5618 or at tbonesbaseball.com.
