Goldeyes Outlast Monarchs in Extras

Kansas City, KS — Two heavyweights went toe-to-toe on Saturday night, but Kansas City fell 11-9 to Winnipeg in 10 innings in a back-and-forth game.

The Monarchs found a way to jump in front in the first when Luken Baker and Grant Richardson both reached base with two outs and then Saul Garza flared an opposite field three-run homer to take an early 3-0 advnatage.

There were three scoreless frames, but the Goldeyes orchestrated a response in the fourth. Adam Hall and Ray-Patrick Didder both walked which allowed Keshawn Lynch to deliver a three-run blast to left field and tied up the game.

The Goldeyes continued to add runs as Roby Enriquez hit a solo jack in the 5th followed by two more runs in the sixth. Lynch got all the way to third and scored via balk. Peyton Holt drove in Max Murphy on a sac fly to right and Winnipeg captured a 6-3 lead.

That did not phase the Monarchs as they came storming back in the bottom of sixth. Hudson Head walked and Tyler Gentry doubled to put two in scoring position. The next batter, Austin Callahan, smacked a ball into right field and Head scored while Gentry crossed home plate via error from Murphy.

Both teams were trading punches as Winnipeg answered with a run in the seventh on an RBI double from Didder to bring home Ramon Bramasco. Kansas City found a lone tally in the eighth as Callahan drove in Head on a sac fly to cut it back to 7-6.

It came down to the ninth inning and the Goldeyes muscled an RBI from Noah Marcelo who brought home Bramasco while Murphy drove in Hall. It was 9-6 and it became due or die for KC.

This team never gave up and in fact, tied the game. Sahid Valenzuela and Jose Torres each collected a knock while Head put a sacrifice fly to score Valenzuela. It was Onix Vega’s turn to make something happen and he did just that. He already had a multi-hit night, he read the perfect pitch and delivered a moon shot to left field to force the contest into extras.

Unfortunately, the Goldeyes plated two runs in the top of the tenth as Holt scored on a groundout RBI while Bramasco delivered an opposite field homer and KC could not rally in the bottom of the frame.

These two teams will battle it out for a Sunday afternoon matinee with the series split at one apiece. It is scheduled for a 1:05 first pitch.