By MATT FULKS, tbonesbaseball.com
AMARILLO, Texas – Amarillo right-handed pitcher Derek Blacksher was looking for his first win and, unfortunately for the T-Bones’ offense, he got it Wednesday night in a 4-0 shutout for the Sox in game one of a doubleheader.
The T-Bones offense could muster only four total hits and six total baserunners against Blacksher (1-4), who went the distance with a 7-inning performance.
Kansas City starting pitcher Andy Noga (0-2) also pitched a complete game, but after giving up an RBI single to former T-Bones first baseman Kyle Nichols in the third, the Sox added three in the fourth. Noga allowed 10 hits and three earned runs through 6 innings.
In the nightcap, Kansas City jumped on Amarillo starter Kellen Moen early, when leadoff hitter Bryan Sabatella hit his second home run of the season on the third pitch he saw.
After the Sox tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first, the T-Bones added another run in the top of the second when Robby Kuzdale singled in Nick Schwaner, who had doubled with one out.
That was Kansas City’s last lead Wednesday night. Amarillo scored three more runs — two in the second and one in the fourth — against Derek Loera, who was making his first start for the T-Bones.
The Sox scored two runs off Kansas City reliever Chris Squires in the fifth, which gave Amarillo a 6-2 lead, before the game was suspended shortly after midnight because of the league curfew rule.
Game two of the doubleheader, which will remain a seven-inning contest, is scheduled to resume at 4 p.m. Thursday.
The series finale, a nine-inning game, is scheduled to start at its original time, 7:05. That game can be heard on 610 Sports in Kansas City or online at tbonesbaseball.com.
