THE SALT-DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

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Jason Rogers had a huge night for the Lincoln Saltdogs (37-42) Friday night at Legends Field. He was 2-4 with a walk from the plate with two home runs and five RBIs. Rogers belted a grand slam in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach as the Saltdogs beat the Kansas City Monarchs (47-31) 11-5.

The Saltdogs scored right away in the first inning. After Rayder Ascanio worked a walk, Ryan Long roped a double to left-center. CF Mallex Smith got the ball in quickly to Pete Kozma who delivered a one-hop to J.C. Escarra at the plate. However, the ball took a funny hop and bounced over Escarra’s head to allow Ascanio to score easily. Jason Rogers was walked to bring Josh Altmann to the plate. He delivered a three-run bomb over the home run patio in left field to give the Saltdogs a 4-0 lead.

The Monarchs responded in the bottom of the first as Jacob Robson hit a solo shot to right field, marking his first career home run as a Monarch. After one inning, Lincoln led 4-1 over Kansas City.

The Saltdogs extended their lead in the third inning. Ryan Long led off the inning with a double down the right field line and quickly advanced to third on a wild pitch from Matt Hartman. A few batters later, Josh Altmann notched a sacrifice fly to right field to earn his fourth RBI of the game and put Lincoln up 5-1.

The Monarchs responded again as Jan Hernandez notched an RBI-single up the middle to score David Thompson. The Saltdogs led 5-2 over the Monarchs after three innings of baseball.

Kansas City continued to claw back into the game. David Thompson led off the fifth inning with a single to left field and stole second base right away. After Matt Adams singled to right to advance Thompson to third, Escarra hit a ball to first base to score Thompson and make it a 5-3 ballgame.

The Monarchs threatened again in the bottom of the seventh. Adams led off the inning and hammered a solo shot to left field to bring Kansas City within one run. Next, J.C.Escarra, Ryan Grotjohn, and Pete Kozma were walked to load the bases. However, the Monarchs couldn’t cash in any more runs, as they still trailed 5-4.

In the top of the eighth, Jason Rogers hit a solo home run to left field to put the Saltdogs up 6-4.

The Monarchs answered by scoring a run of their own. Thompson led off the eighth inning with a double off the left field wall. He was able to advance to third on an error made by LF Justin Byrd. Matt Adams stepped up and drove a hard line drive up the middle to score Thompson and make it a 6-5 ballgame.

The Saltdogs blew the game open in the ninth inning. Rayder Ascanio notched an RBI-single to give them a 7-5 lead. With the bases loaded, Jason Rogers belted a grand slam to left field to give Lincoln an 11-5 lead.

The Monarchs couldn’t get anything started in the bottom of the ninth as Kansas City fell 11-5 to Lincoln.

The Monarchs face off against the Saltdogs in game two tomorrow night (8/13) at Legends Field starting at 6:00 p.m. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the video stream airing on aa baseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the Monarchs Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to monarchs baseball.com. and the Monarchs Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

WP: R.J. Freure (1-0)

LP: Hartman (4-5)

S: N/A

Boxscore

BY: GABRIEL LOPEZ

EXPLORERS BEND DOESN’T BREAK

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The Sioux City Explorers (35-41) secured the rubber match in the three-game set against the Kansas City Monarchs (47-30) Wednesday night, coming away with a walk off 5-2 win. The Monarchs pitching staff staved off the Explorers’ bats all night until the ninth, with the only Sioux City run for the first eight innings being an unearned one owing to a couple of seventh inning errors.

Monarchs starting pitcher Nick Belzer turned in a gem, going six innings deep, striking out seven, and only allowing four hits. Unfortunately for Belzer and the Monarchs, a late ninth inning rally and a walkoff home run from Ademar Rfiaela would soil it all, causing the Monarchs to drop their eighth game in their last 10.

This one got off to an offensively slow start, thanks to dominant pitching performances from the Monarchs’ Nick Belzer and Sioux City’s Patrick Ledet. Each team would get traffic on base in the first five innings but neither team could crack the opponents pitcher.

In the first inning the Monarchs would get a pair of runners on but a double play ball erased the scoring chance. In the second, the Monarchs bats would begin to come alive with a pair of singles, but an inning-ending double play would kill the momentum once again. In the bottom half, the Explorers would load the bases, but Belzer would K the side, all swinging to keep the game scoreless.

Kevin Santa would lead off the top of the third with a single, but would get thrown out trying for two before the next two batters would be retired in order. Nick Belzer would again give the Explorers some hope, as, after leading the inning off with a strikeout, he would load the bases with a walk and a pair of singles, giving the Explorers a bases-loaded, one out opportunity. However, a well-timed 5-4-3 double play would end the inning, keeping the score tied at zeros.

In the fourth, the only baserunner to reach base would be Zack Kone, who would reach second with a double but then make it to third on an error. Belzer made sure not to let this phase him, however, as he retired the next batter for the third out, stranding Kone at third base.

The fifth would be more of the same, as Blake Tiberi was the only baserunner over the two half-innings, as he would reach base with a walk and later steal second base, but Belzer would retire the next two batters in order with no harm done.

The sixth inning finally brought some life to the scoreboard and to the Monarchs dugout. Kevin Santa would lead the top of the sixth off by reaching base on an error by Explorers second baseman Nate Samson. Jacob Robson would then deliver in the clutch, driving a triple to center field, scoring Santa and giving the game its very first run. David Thompson followed Robson’s triple up with another RBI base knock making the score 2-0 in the sixth. Matt Adams would make it three straight hits with a single of his own, moving Thompson to second before Darnell Sweeney would be walked in the next at-bat, giving Kansas City a bases-loaded, one out situation. As has been the theme of the night to this point, Casey Gillaspie would ground into an untimely double play, ending the top of the inning with the score now 2-0 Monarchs.

In the bottom half, Nick Belzer would continue his shutout performance as he retired the side in order for what would be his last inning of work.

In the seventh, after the Monarchs went down in order, Jordan Martinson would take over on the mound for Kansas City. Zack Kone would lead off the inning by reaching base due to an error for his second time of the night by shortstop Kevin Santa. Martinson’s lefty pickoff move would come in handy, however, as Kone would get caught stealing between first and second for the first out of the inning. However, the Monarchs would get bitten by the error bug again, as an error by right fielder Casey Gillaspie would allow Jack Kelly to reach first. The bug kept biting, and the Monarchs would make it three straight errors as an error by Darnell Sweeney would score Kelly and put the first Explorers run on the board. After Martinson allowed the unearned run, he would then allow a walk before recording a strikeout. A wild pitch on the next batter would put the runners at second and third, so the Monarchs decided to put some faith in Martinson and intentionally walk the bases loaded. Martinson would prove this decision a smart one, as he would end the inning with a ground ball back to himself, making the score 2-1 Monarchs after seven.

Matt Pobereyko would enter on for the Explorers in the eighth and get the job done, retiring the one, two, and three holes for the Monarchs in 1-2-3 fashion. Brandon Koch would spell Jordan Martinson for the Monarchs in the bottom half and promptly return the favor, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts.

Sioux City Explorers closing pitcher Thomas McIlraith would enter in a non-save situation in the top of the ninth and set the Monarchs down in order. The Monarchs would also bring on their closer, Jameson McGrane, in the bottom half of the ninth in a save situation. Gabe Snyder would pinch hit to lead off the inning, but would get sent right back to the dugout when McGrane struck him out swinging. The next two batters would make the inning interesting, however, as the Danny Amaral would poke a single to right field followed by an 0-2 hit by pitch to Blake Tiberi, who represented the winning run. The next batter of the inning Danry Vazquez would step up to the plate and come through for Sioux City, delivering an RBI single to left field, scoring Amaral and tying the game at twos. McGrane would then K Zawada, bringing Ademar Rifaela to the batter’s box with the winning run at second base. Rifaela decided he wanted more than one RBI for the win, and smacked a walkoff home run to right to give the Explorers the 5-2 win for the night and the series.

The Kansas City Monarchs will have an off day before returning to play at home on Friday (8/11) against the Lincoln Saltdogs with the first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m.. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the Monarchs Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to monarchsbaseball.com. and the Monarchs Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

WP: McIlraith (5-3)

LP:  McGrane (2-3)

S: N/A

Boxscore

MONARCHS END LOSING STREAK

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The Kansas City Monarchs (47-29) erased a five game losing skid on Tuesday with an impressive shutout victory over their division rivals, the Sioux City Explorers (34-41). The pitching staff strung together a dominant performance with 10 strikeouts and just three hits.

The Kansas City Monarchs came out on Tuesday evening with a chip on their shoulder after five straight losses. Matt Adams continued to stay hot at the plate and sent a charge through Lewis and Clark Park with a monsterous two-run home run in the top of the first inning. Kansas City kept the scoring going with Casey Gillaspie’s single that would score Darnell Sweeney (3-0).

Three innings later the Monarchs went on to score three more runs. With speed on the bases, Jacob Robson shot a double into left field that scored Kevin Santa and advanced Mallex Smith to third. David Thompson hit a single that scored Smith and Robson to up the lead to six (6-0).

Matt Hall also had a terrific outing on Tuesday night by executing his pitches for seven straight innings. Hall did not allow a single runner to reach third base until his last inning. After recording eight strikeouts in the game, Hall surpassed 70 strikeouts on the season (73). Hall allowed just three hits and two walks and kept hitters off balanced all evening.

The seamless transition over to the bullpen happened in the bottom of the eighth inning when Brian Glowicki took the hill. Glowicki faced four batters in the eight inning, and escaped with one walk and a strikeout.

Brandon Koch was called on to finish the job for the Kansas City Monarchs. Koch pounded the zone to seal the deal on the road shutout victory. Koch faced three explorers and retired them all in just eight pitches. Koch has now had four straight appearances with no runs allowed.

The Kansas City Monarchs will take on the Explorers again on Wednesday in the series finale with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the Monarchs Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to monarchsbaseball.com. and the Monarchs Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

 

WP: Hall (6-2)

LP: Hedges (1-7)

S: N/A

Boxscore

MONARCHS DROP FIFTH STRAIGHT

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The woes continue for the Kansas City Monarchs (46-29) as they were defeated 8-4 by the Sioux City Explorers (34-40). The Monarchs have now lost five straight games and are 1-6 in the month of August.

The Explorers scored right away in the first inning. After Danny Amaral worked a walk, Blake Tiberi hit a single to left field. Amaral stole third base and was brought in on an RBI-single from Danry Vasquez. Sebastian Zawada followed up Vasquez’s at-bat with a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Tiberi and give Sioux City an early 2-0 lead.

After a scoreless top half from Kansas City, Chase Harris hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second to extend Sioux City’s lead, 3-0.

The Explorers tacked on a few more runs in the third inning. After Vasquez singled to third base, Sebastian Zawada roped a double to left field to score Vasquez. Gabe Snyder brought another run home on a single to left field. After three innings of baseball, Sioux City led 5-0 over Kansas City.

The Monarchs responded in the top of the fourth when Casey Gillaspie and Gio Brusa hammered back-to-back bombs. The home run for Brusa marked his first long ball as a Monarch.

Kansas City’s offense didn’t stop there. In the top of the fifth, Darnell Sweeney brought in Jacob Robson with a ground ball to shortstop. Gillaspie followed up Sweeney’s at-bat with an RBI-single to right field to bring the Monarchs within one, as they trailed 4-5.

Sioux City continued to extend their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Zack Kone led off the inning with a double to left field. A few batters later, Zawada doubled to center field to score Kone. Gabe Snyder hit an RBI-single to center to score Zawada and give the Explorers a 7-4 lead.

The Explorers added one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Shane Podsednik singled to right field. He quickly scored after an error made by SS Kevin Santa to make it an 8-4 ballgame for Sioux City.

Relief pitcher, Max Kuhns, was lights out for the Explorers. He was literally unhittable, as he struck eight Monarchs in three innings while allowing zero hits.

Thomas McIlraith entered in the top of the ninth to replace Kuhns. He struck out the side to end the game as Sioux City took the first game of the three-game series.

The Monarchs will face the Explorers Tuesday night (8/8) at 7:05 p.m.  The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 p.m. and the video stream airing on aa baseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the Monarchs Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to monarchs baseball.com. and the Monarchs Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

WP: Blaine Hardy (3-2)

LP: Lewis Thorpe (8-2)

S: N/A

Boxscore

BY: GABRIEL LOPEZ

COUGARS CONTINUE TO HAUNT MONARCHS

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The Kane County Cougars (39-36) complete the come-from-behind victory and the series sweep against the Kansas City Monarchs (46-28) after a heroic eighth inning at home.

The Kansas City Monarchs placed the ball in RHP Matt Hartman’s hands for his 11th start of the season on Sunday afternoon after the two-hour rain delay. Despite having to wait the extra time until first pitch, Hartman stayed prepared for his start. The Westmont College graduate had more success this time around against the Cougars than his previous start back on August 2nd. The starter for Kansas City cruised through the first five frames against Kane County, allowing just six runners to reach base throughout his first five innings.

The Monarchs struck first in the top of the third inning, scoring one run off of a throw down to second base to catch Jacob Robson stealing. Mallex Smith raced home on the throw to second from third base to start the scoring for the afternoon (1-0).

Kansas City would strike again in the fifth inning with two runs. Robson laced a double that scored Kevin Santa and the newly acquired Gio Brusa (3-0).

Kane County knew it was time to strike as they answered in the bottom half of the fifth with two runs of their own. They finally cracked Hartman with an Alexis Pantoja two-RBI single (3-2). The single from Pantoja was one of just three hits that Hartman allowed all afternoon.

The Monarchs stretched their lead to two in exciting fashion in the eighth inning with a big city bomb from Matt Adams, his 22nd of the season (4-2).

The hometown Cougars kept clawing though and really turned the tide of the game after their biggest offensive inning in the bottom of the eighth. The scoring in the inning was started off by a Sherman Johnson solo home run (4-3). Luke Mangieri then clubbed a huge triple that scored former Monarch, Nick Franklin to tie the game at four apiece. A single from Galli Cribbs Jr. allowed the Cougars to leap back in front of Kansas City on the next at-bat (5-4) off of Jeremy Rhoades.

Kansas City loaded the bases after the first two batters struck out in the last call for the Monarchs. Jacob Robson collected his third hit of the afternoon to start the rally, Darnell Sweeney would single five pitches later, and Matt Adams worked a five-pitch walk. Every bag a Monarch with the highly feared David Thompson stepping up to the plate. A hit by Thompson would crush the Cougars, but Ryan Tapani for Kane County sat him down to stop the threat and complete the sweep against the Monarchs (5-4).

The Monarchs will begin a three-game series against the Sioux City Explorers tomorrow (8/8) at 7:05 p.m. The two have not faced off with one another since June 23rd. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the Monarchs Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to monarchsbaseball.com. and the Monarchs Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

WP: Jack Anderson (4-2)

LP: Jeremy Rhoades (0-1)

S: Ryan Tapani (1)

Boxscore

BY: JAXSON WEBB

COUGARS DEVOUR MONARCHS LATE

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The Kane County Cougars (37-36) late-game offense and home run barrage propelled them to a series-opening victory against the Kansas City Monarchs (46-26). The four Kane County home runs, across the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings helped the Cougars snatch the lead, getting the 8-5 win over the Monarchs.

Runs and hits came at a premium early on Friday night in Kane County. In the top of the first, the Monarchs snagged the first run of the night by capitalizing on a walk drawn by David Thompson. With a two-out RBI double from Matt Adams, Kansas City took an early 1-0 lead. Vance Worley received the start for the Cougars, striking out one, allowing one hit and one run in his first inning of work. In the home half of the first, Nick Belzer made quick work of the Cougars, striking out one and retiring three-of-four batters on his way to his first-of-four hitless innings.

In the second inning, both offenses stayed quiet, as Kansas City went down in one, two, three fashion. Belzer continued his strong outing, mirroring his first inning of work, by retiring three of four with no runs or hits allowed. The Monarchs grabbed another run in the third inning, which was sparked by an early baserunner, Mallex Smith. Smith, playing in his first game for Kansas City, used his MLB speed to advance to third base on a single from Darnell Sweeney. With runners on the corners, Matt Adams picked up his second RBI of the night—this time a single to right field that snuck past the shift. The Monarchs finished the top of the third leading 2-0. Belzer walked another Cougar in the bottom of the third inning but faced only three batters with an inning ending 5-4-3 double play.

The fourth inning followed the script of the game so far, with each pitcher retiring three of four batters and allowing no runs. Belzer’s last inning of hitless work preserved the Monarchs two run lead.

In the fifth inning, the runs began to flow a bit more freely. Worley began the inning by walking Mallex Smith. Smith immediately stole two bases and set up Darnell Sweeney for an RBI sacrifice fly. The Monarchs pushed their lead to 3-0 but were unable to add anymore as Worley retired the next two Monarchs to finish his own hitless inning of work. The Cougars and the walks finally caught up to Nick Belzer in the fifth inning. Belzer began the bottom of the fifth by walking Sherman Johnson and surrendering his first hit of the night to Galli Cribbs Jr. A one-out single quickly erased Belzer’s no-hitter and generated momentum for Kane County. A ground ball to J.C. Escarra advanced both runners into scoring position. Ernie De La Trinidad stepped to the plate and continued his hot hitting with an RBI triple to clear the bases. With the Cougars trailing by one run, Alexis Pantoja brought De La Trinidad home and tied the game up at 3-3. Belzer ended his outing with five innings pitched, three hits and three runs allowed, and five walks.

Kansas City did not waste any time taking the lead back in the sixth inning with a one-out RBI double from Kevin Santa. Santa’s RBI double was set up once again by an early inning walk, as Worley walked Casey Gillaspie. Santa was thrown out on his RBI double while pushing for third base for the triple. Worley held Kane County’s deficit to one run, leaving the score at 4-3 for his final inning of work. Kane County erased the Monarchs lead swiftly with Frank Rubio now on the mound. A leadoff single from Jimmy Kerrigan set Dylan Busby up for a towering two-run home run off the scoreboard to take a 5-4 lead. The Cougars were not done yet as Luke Mangieri blasted a solo home run to push Kane County’s lead to 6-4.

In the top of the seventh, C.J. Carter entered for Kane County, retiring three-out-of-four Monarchs. Carter walked one, allowing no hits or runs to hold the two run Cougar lead. Frank Rubio continued his work in the bottom of the seventh inning. Rubio faced only four Cougars and allowed only one hit, a two-out, solo home run from Cornelius Randolph. With Randolph’s home run, Kane County led 7-4 heading into the eighth inning.

In the eighth inning, Ben Allison entered for C.J. Carter on the mound. Allison loaded the bases with two walks and a double from Casey Gillaspie. With two-outs, the newest Monarch of the night, Jacob Robson, stepped up to the plate for a shot at late game heroics. Robson faced Ryan Richardson from the bullpen with the bases loaded and struck out looking to end the inning. Jeremy Rhoades entered for Frank Rubio and picked up back-to-back strikeouts to begin the bottom of the eighth inning. With two outs, Luke Mangieri picked up another solo home run, extending the Cougars lead to four runs. Rhoades walked one before escaping the inning, allowing one hit and one run.

In the final half inning, Ryan Richardson entered to slam the door on Kansas City’s comeback hopes. Richardson retired two Monarchs before surrendering a single to David Thompson and an RBI double from Matt Adams. Kansas City trailed by only three runs, with the tying run on deck, when Richardson retired J.C. Escarra on a 5-3 putout to erase any comeback attempt.

The Monarchs play game two of a three-game series against the Kane County Cougars tomorrow night (8/6) at 6:30 p.m. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:05 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the Monarchs Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to monarchsbaseball.com. and the Monarchs Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

WP: Vance Worley (6-7)

LP: Frank Rubio (2-2)

S: Ryan Richardson (5)

Boxscore

DE LA TRINIDAD TOPPLES MONARCHS

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Ernie De La Trinidad was perfect from the plate for the Kane County Cougars (36-36) on Thursday night. De La Trinidad’s six-for-six performance at the plate with a home run, two doubles, and five RBI secured the series win against the Kansas City Monarchs (46-25). Kansas City fell to Kane County with a final score of 12-6.

The Cougars offense started fast in the first frame, with a leadoff home run from Ernie De La Trinidad over the right field wall to secure a 1-0 lead. Jon Harris received the start for Kansas City and settled down after surrendering a solo home run. Harris allowed only one hit the rest of the inning, striking out one along the way to hold the Cougars to one run. The Monarchs offense responded in the bottom of the first by capitalizing on two, two-out walks from starting pitcher Westin Muir. With David Thompson and Matt Adams both on base after drawing walks, Casey Gillaspie brought them both home with an RBI double to right center field. The Monarchs offense was not done yet, with J.C Escarra picking up an RBI single to right field and scoring Casey Gillaspie. Kansas City threatened again as Escarra reached second base on an error, but Muir escaped the inning with the Cougars only trailing by two runs.

In the second inning, the newest Monarch and Overland Park, KS native, Caeden Harris, made his mark on the game with a difficult catch against the wall in left field to prevent an extra base hit. Kane County did not wait long to cut into the Monarchs lead. A single from Galli Cribbs Jr. set up De La Trinidad for a double and his second RBI of the night,  cutting the lead to one run. The Cougars tied it up with an RBI single from Alexis Pantoja, ending the inning with the score all tied up at 3-3. Caeden Harris picked up his first hit as a Monarch in the bottom of the second inning, but the other Monarch bats went quiet, as Muir held them scoreless behind a 4-6-3 double play.

Kane County’s offense picked back up in the third inning with a leadoff double to left center from Jimmy Kerrigan. The Cougars wasted no time bringing Kerrigan home with a Dylan Busby home run over the right field wall. Kane County threatened with two runners on base, but Frank Rubio replaced Jon Harris, who left due to injury, to end the inning and hold the deficit to two runs. Kansas City again went quietly on offense in the bottom of the third, as Muir retired three of four Monarchs, allowing no hits and no runs.

In the top of the fourth, Frank Rubio worked to settle in on the mound quickly, allowing three hits but no runs courtesy of a 6-3 double play. Westin Muir once again slowed the Monarchs offense, this time by retiring Kansas in order to hold the score at 5-3.

Jordan Martinson entered from the Swope Health bullpen to replace Frank Rubio. With Martinson on the mound in the fifth inning, the Cougars struck out three times and put three more runs on the board. The Cougars led 8-3 heading into the home half of the fifth. Muir’s last inning of work came in the fifth inning as he retired three of four Monarchs to end his outing with four hits allowed, three earned runs, and two strikeouts.

The Monarchs once again called upon the bullpen with Brian Glowicki entering for Kansas City. Glowicki allowed two runs in his inning of work following an RBI double from Ernie De La Trinidad with the bases loaded, his fourth and fifth RBIs of the night. The Cougars extended their lead to 10-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth. Jack Anderson replaced Westin Muir on the mound for Kane County. With Anderson on the mound, the Monarchs were loaded the bases with a single from J.C. Escarra, a walk drawn by Ryan Grotjohn, and a single from Alexis Olmeda. With the bases loaded and no outs, the Monarchs added two before the inning came to a close with an RBI walk from Harris and an RBI single from Kevin Santa. The Monarchs trailed 10-5, stranding three runners on base in the inning.

Kansas City secured its first one, two, three inning after Brandon Koch entered on the mound in the seventh inning, retiring the Cougars in order. The Monarchs added one more run in the seventh inning, this time against Ben Allison. J.C. Escarra’s deep solo blast to right field cut the deficit to only four runs. Kansas City threatened to add another run with a near inside-the-park home run from Ryan Grotjohn who was thrown out at home.

In the eighth, Koch faced only three Kane County batters, walking one, allowing no hits or runs on his way to another scoreless inning of work. Allison followed suit with his own scoreless inning of work, retiring Kansas City in order striking out one in the inning.

In the final frame, Jacob Lindgren replaced Brandon Koch for Kansas City. Kane County added two more runs after loading the bases with no outs. With the bases loaded, Sherman Johnson reached second base on a fielder’s choice and error by Alexis Olmeda, scoring two runs in the process. The Monarchs trailed 12-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth, down to their final three outs. Ryan Richardson entered to slam the door on any comeback from Kansas City. Richardson needed only 11 pitches to force three fly outs to end the game in one, two, three fashion.

The Monarchs travel to Kane County for game one of a three game series road trip against the Kane County Cougars tomorrow night (8/5) at 6:30 p.m. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:00 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the Monarchs Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to monarchsbaseball.com. and the Monarchs Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

WP: Westin Muir (3-0)

LP: Jon Harris (4-2)

S: N/A

Boxscore

BY: CALEB GRIZZLE

MONARCHS DECLAW COUGARS IN GAME TWO

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The Kansas City Monarchs (46-22) secure game two against the Kane County Cougars (35-36) in a 4-3 game.

Monarchs starter Lewis Thorpe produced a quick 1,2,3 first inning on the way to retiring the first nine batters in a row. The Monarchs would strand five runners in the first two innings before breaking through in the third.

David Thompson started two-for-two with a stand-up triple to right-center field in the home half of the third. Matt Adams batted next and sent a ball to center for an RBI double; the Monarchs held their first lead at 1-0.

Kane County avoided another bases-loaded scenario with a 4-6-3 double play, taking out Gillaspie at second and Escarra at first.

Cougar Ernie De La Trinidad got a walk in the top of the fourth. Jimmy Kerrigan sent a base-hit single to left field, but both men were left stranded by the third out.

In his first game back with the Monarchs, Ryan Grotjohn reached base on a walk before Sweeney singled to right field, but an error by first baseman Dylan Busby sent him to second. Santa singled to center for two RBI before Thompson singled to right. Monarchs extended the lead further as Adams sent one deep to left-center field, bringing the score to 4-0.

The Cougars put the first run on the board in the fifth as Alexis Pantoja tripled to deep right-center field and a put-out from B.J. Lopez brought him in, Kane County no longer scoreless at 4-1.

Kane County brought in another run in the seventh courtesy of a putout from Pantoja. Dylan Busby singled to left field before Sherman Johnson sent one to deep right field for a double. After a pitching change from Brian Glowicki to Jordan Martinson, Galli Cribbs Jr completed a single to center for an RBI, digging into the Monarchs lead at 4-3.

In the top of the eighth, Jeremy Rhoades took the mound for two strikeouts, one being Kerrigan, who in game one went two -or-four with three RBI courtesy of a home run, ending the night one-for-four with three strikeouts. Manager Joe Calfapietra said of Kerrigan, “We got ahead, you get ahead, you know then you get a chance, you get behind a good hitter it just makes it a little more difficult.”

In the bottom of the eighth, Cougars pitcher Koby Bishop loaded the bases. Santa and Thompson both singled to left field before Adams was walked. Monarchs finished the night at 4-3 as Santa was picked off at third by catcher B.J. Lopez, and Jameson McGrane ended the top of the ninth with two strikeouts.

It was a tense match-up on the mound with Lewis Thorpe going 6 IP for 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB and 5 strikeouts compared to Jack Fox at 5 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 6 BB and 4 strikeouts.

The Monarchs will finish this series homestand against the Kane County Cougars tomorrow night (8/4) at 7:00 p.m. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the Monarchs Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to monarchsbaseball.com. and the Monarchs Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

 

WP: Lewis Thorpe (8-1)

LP: Jack Fox (7-2)

S: Jameson McGrane (15)

Boxscore

BY: KAITLYN SANDERS

KC WELCOMES BACK KEY PIECE OF 2021

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The Kansas City Monarchs signed back one of the most valuable players from last season’s roster on August 3rd, 2022. Ryan Grotjohn returns to the Monarchs after leaving his mark on the club’s first season a year ago by being one of the biggest contributors to the team both at the plate and in the field.

Grotjohn made the jump from one Kansas City club to another after being signed by the Kansas City Royals after the conclusion of the 2021 American Association Playoffs. Before beginning his time with the Royals, Grotjohn spent the winter playing for the Gigantes de Carolina in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

For the current 2022 season, Ryan Grotjohn spent his time playing for Royals AA affiliate, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Springdale, AR). Grotjohn appeared in 34 games, and totaled 68 at-bats. In those at-bats, he had 11 hits, two homers, nine RBI, two doubles, and has stolen nine bases.

Grotjohn played in 97 total games a season ago and finished the regular season by ranking top five on the team in 10 different offensive stat categories. Grotjohn led the Monarchs in runs scored (76), triples (6), and hit by pitches (10). The versatile standout hit .328 (116-354) the entire season with 23 doubles, 11 home runs, and 63 RBI.

Defensively, Grotjohn played many positions, including third base, center field, left field, and right field, but he played the better majority at second base. He finished the season with a .966 fielding percentage, tallying 78 putouts, 91 assists, and helped turn 21 double-plays.

He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 10th round of the 2017 June Amateur Draft out of California State University, Bakersfield.  In 2019 Grotjohn saw time at both high-A Visalia in the California League and AA Jackson in the Southern League.

Grotjohn had a four-year college career at Cal State Bakersfield. In four seasons he played in 184 games, hitting .302 (.302/.394/.413). He finished his career with four home runs and 89 RBI. His senior season in 2017 he finished second on the Roadrunners with 42 RBI while leading the team in doubles with 15. He also hit a team-leading .390 (.390/.459/.512) and led the team in hits (83) and runs (51) in his final season.

Grotjohn is a 2013 graduate of Brophy College Prep in Phoenix, Arizona where he hit .391 with four home runs and 33 RBI as a senior on the way to being named honorable mention All-State. He had seven doubles and a .477 on-base percentage in 2013 on a team that finished second in the state in 2012. Grotjohn also lettered in soccer and was a member of the BCP soccer team, which won two state championships and where he earned first team All-State honors. He also played club soccer in Spain

The Monarchs continue their three-game series tonight against the Kane County Cougars at Legends Field in KCK. The first pitch is set for 7:00 pm and the game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the Monarchs Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to monarchsbaseball.com. and the Monarchs Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

COUGARS POUNCE ON MONARCHS EARLY

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A six-run second inning for the Kane County Cougars (35-35) propelled them to an 11-7 victory over the Kansas City Monarchs (45-24). The Monarchs finished the night with seven runs but also left 13 runners on base. Kansas City also outhit the Cougars, tallying 15 hits to Kane County’s 11.

The Cougars scored right away. After a double from Josh Rolette, Cornelius Randolph belted a two-run bomb to center field to give them an early 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Kane County didn’t stop there as they extended their lead in the second. With the bases loaded, Ernie De La Trinidad hit an RBI-single to right field. A few batters later, Randolph roped a two-RBI double. Jimmy Kerrigan stepped up to the plate and hammered a three-run home run to center field to give the Cougars an 8-0 lead over the Monarchs.Kane County tacked on one more run in the third inning as Galli Cribbs Jr notched an RBI-triple to make the score 9-0.

The Monarchs finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning. Darnell Sweeney led off the inning with a walk. A couple batters later, Matt Adams hit a soft bloop single over third baseman Dylan Busby to bring in Sweeney. After three innings of play, the Monarchs trailed 1-9.

Kansas City scored in the middle innings. David Thompson hammered a solo shot over the home run patio in the bottom of the fifth. The next inning, Kevin Santa hit an RBI-single up the middle to score Alexis Olmeda. After six innings, the Monarchs trailed 3-9.

Kansas City started to make some noise in the seventh inning. Adams led off the inning with a single to left field. After J.C. Escarra notched a hit down the left field line, Chad De La Guerra worked a walk to load the bases. With two outs and two strikes, Willie Abreu hit a screaming line drive down the left field line to score Adams and Escarra. After seven innings, the Monarchs trailed by four runs.

The Cougars scored two more runs in the ninth and the Monarchs trailed 11-5 heading to the bottom half.

Kansas City clawed back in the bottom of the ninth. Abreu brought in Escarra with an RBI-double. Sweeney followed up Abreu’s at-bat with a sacrifice fly to right field. However, the Monarchs couldn’t bring any more runs across the plate as the Cougars won 11-7.

The Monarchs will continue their homestand with game two against the Kane County Cougars tomorrow night (8/3) at 7:00 p.m. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com. For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the Monarchs Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to monarchsbaseball.com. and the Monarchs Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

WP: Fuentes (5-2)

LP: Hartman (4-4)

S: N/A

Boxscore

BY: GABRIEL LOPEZ