KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Kansas City T-Bones prevented a sweep by the Gary SouthShore RailCats with a 9-5 victory tonight in front of 6,714 fans at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.

Kansas City took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning when Al Benjamin hit a three-run home run off Gary starter Josh Habel, plating Rob Watson (pictured, right) and Mario Delgado (pictured, 23) who singled and doubled respectively.

Gary answered in the second, scoring three off starter Anthony Boughner to even the score at three.  An RBI groundout by Dave Detienne plated the first run before a throwing error from Geoff McCallum allowed Jermaine Allensworth and Jose Yepez to score the final two runs.  Both runs would be earned as the next batter, Dale Mueller, singled.  Mike Reese, who reached on McCallum’s error, was thrown out at home by rookie right fielder Nick Jaros.

The RailCats took a 4-3 lead in the fifth on an RBI double from Steve Haake, plating Eric McNamee who led off the frame with a single.  Kansas City responded with two in the bottom of the inning on a two-run home run from Watson, his seventh of the season.

Boughner was lifted for Danny Core after six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits.  He would settle for a no decision however, as Core surrendered a home run to Eric Blakeley in the seventh, tying the game at five.

Kansas City retook the lead in the bottom of the inning when Delgado singled, plating McCallum who moved into scoring position on a passed ball.  Steve Edsall walked McCallum to start the frame and struck out Watson before giving way to Jim Crowell.  Core picked up the victory after two innings of work, improving to 4-0 on the season.  Edsall fell to 1-3 on the season, allowing the one unearned run without allowing a hit in one-third innings.

The T-Bones added three insurance runs, two earned, in the eighth off Crowell, thanks to three hits and two RailCat errors.

Game Notes:  Watson extended his home on-base streak to 40 games and his overall on-base streak 28 games with a two-for-five night…Calvin Pickering went one-for-three to extend his overall on-base streak to 29 games…The 2-3-4 hitters for Kansas City drove in six of the nine T-Bones runs…Tonight was the first time in five career starts for Boughner versus Gary that he failed to last at least seven innings.