Monarchs’ Late Inning Heroics Secure Win

By Nolan Brooks

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — LJ Hatch, Keon Broxton, and Micker Adolfo all had clutch hits as the Kansas City Monarchs erased a three-run deficit in the seventh inning to beat the Sioux City Explorers 6-3 at Legends Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Down 3-1 heading into the seventh inning, the Monarchs rallied to score two runs. A Broxton fielders choice drove in the tying run.

An Adolfo RBI double to center field in the eighth inning proved to be the winning hit that put the Monarchs ahead 4-3.

The game started out as a pitchers’ duel. Monarchs starter Dalton Moats and Explorers starter Mitchell Verburg both threw four scoreless innings to begin the game.

The Explorers got on the board first with a fifth-inning three-run homer from Delvin Zinn. It was quickly 3-0 Sioux City.

The Monarchs would respond with their first run in the sixth inning on a wild pitch that scored Hatch. It was 3-1 heading into the seventh.

The Monarchs bats came to life in the seventh. Basabe started off the rally with a double before Hatch’s RBI single brought in a run. From there, the Broxton fielders choice tied the ballgame and made it 3-3.

After a Gavin Collins walk to begin the eighth inning, Adolfo completed the comeback with the RBI double that made it 4-3.

Kansas City added two more insurance runs in the eighth inning. Olivier Basabe hit an RBI single and LJ Hatch drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-3.

Patrick Weigel entered in the ninth inning and shut the door on the Explorers to get his third save of the year.

Jordan Martinson got the win (2-1) and Nate Gercken got the loss (1-2).

UP NEXT: The Monarchs finish a three-game series versus the Sioux City Explorers. Game three is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday.