Saltdogs Fall to Monarchs in Extra Innings

Kansas City, Kansas-   Trying to avoid a series sweep, Sunday, the Lincoln Saltdogs battled the Kansas City Monarchs to an extra-inning contest at Legends Field.  After scoring a run to take the lead in the top of the eleventh inning, Kansas City scored two in the bottom half, in wild fashion, to defeat Lincoln, 4-3.

The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth inning, when Lincoln scored first.  The Saltdogs’ Matt Phipps doubled with two outs off Kansas City starter, Daniel Martinez.  The next batter, Brody Fahr singled, driving in Phipps, to put Lincoln ahead, 1-0.

Kansas City answered in the bottom of the fifth.  Facing Lincoln reliever, Franny Cobos, the Monarchs’ Peyton Holt drew a walk with one out.  The next batter, Ross Adolph, doubled into the right-field corner, scoring Holt, to tie the game at one apiece.

Lincoln recaptured the lead in the top of the eighth.  Fahr drew a walk, then stole second.  Danny Bautista, Jr. drew a walk against reliever Tyler McKay to put runners at first and second.  Then, Fahr stole third and took home on an errant throw from Kansas City catcher Ryan Lietch, to make it a 2-1 Saltdogs lead.

The Monarchs tied the game in the bottom of the inning.  With one out, Kansas City’s Isiah Gilliam doubled off of Lincoln reliever Connor Langrell.  Two batters later, Jaylyn Williams singled, scoring Gilliam to make the score 2-2.

The game remained tied until the top of the eleventh.  With two outs, Lincoln’s Rolando Espinosa singled, driving home Kyle Battle, to make it a 3-2 Lincoln lead.

In the bottom of the inning, the game took a wild turn.  Facing Lincoln reliever Dutch Landis, Kansas City’s Ross Adolph drew a walk, to put runners at first and second.  Then, Alvaro Gonzalez hit a ground-rule double, scoring the placed runner, Josh Bissonette, to tie the score at 3-3.  With runners at second and third, Monarchs’ designated hitter Jorge Bonifacio hit a fly ball which fell in the left-field corner and was ruled a foul ball.  After discussion by the umpiring crew, the call was overturned to a fair ball, which allowed Adolph to score and allowed Kansas City to win in walk-off fashion, 4-3, in eleven innings.

Kansas City (3-0) scored four runs off six hits and committed one error.  Lincoln (0-3) had three runs off five hits and had one error.

The Monarchs starter, Daniel Martinez pitched 5.0 innings, giving up one run off three hits, walked one and struck out six.  Hunter McMahon pitched 1.0 inning, gave up one hit and struck out one.  Jake Brentz pitched 1.0 inning, gave up one unearned run, walked one and struck out two.  Josh Bortka pitched 1.2 innings, walked two and struck out two.  Tyler McKay pitched 1.1 innings and walked one.  Sean Rackoski (1-0) earned the win, pitching 1.0 inning, giving up one hit, one unearned run, and struck out two.

Lincoln starter Johnny Ray pitched 4.0 innings, walked three and struck out seven.  Franny Cobos pitched 1.0 inning, gave up one hit, one run, walked one and struck out one.  Matt Mullenbach worked 2.0 innings, giving up one hit and walked two.  Connor Langrell pitched 0.2 innings, gave up two hits, one run and struck out two.  Jacob Roberts worked 1.1 innings, walked two and struck out one.  Dutch Landis (0-1) took the loss.  He pitched 1.2 innings, giving up two hits, two runs, one earned, walked one and struck out one.

Offensively for Kansas City, Ross Adolph was 1-for-3 with an RBI.  Alvaro Gonzalez was 1-for-5 and drove in one run.  Jorge Bonifacio was 1-for-6 and had the game-winning walk-off rbi single.  Jaylyn Williams was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

For Lincoln, Rolando Espinosa was 2-for-5 and drove in one run.  Brody Fahr went 1-for-2 with an RBI.

Kansas City will begin a three-game series, hosting the Winnipeg Goldeyes, on Tuesday night.

Lincoln continues its season-opening six-game road trip when it travels to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to play the Sioux Falls Canaries, in a three-game series, beginning Tuesday night.  First pitch is 6:35 p.m., from Sioux Falls Stadium.  The game will be broadcast on radio on KFOR 101.5 FM/1240 AM and audio will stream live at www.kfornow.com.  A live audio feed of the broadcast will also stream at:  www.aa.baseball.tv.

After the three-game series at Sioux Falls, the Saltdogs will return to Lincoln and host the Winnipeg Goldeyes, Friday night.  The Haymarket Park 2025 home-opener will begin at 7:05 p.m.   It will be Fireworks & FREE T-Shirt Friday, sponsored by Abante Marketing and Pepsi Cola of Lincoln.  Fans can receive replica t-shirts of their favorite Saltdogs players, which will be thrown into the crowd during the game.  Also, after the contest will be a fireworks extravaganza.  For tickets, promotional information and much more, visit: www.saltdogs.com.