KANSAS CITY, Kan. – After scoring just one run a piece through the first 15 innings, the Kansas City T-Bones and Gary SouthShore RailCats combined to drive in eight runs in the 16th inning with the T-Bones suffering a 6-4 loss in front of 6,253 fans.  Tonight’s attendance pushed Kansas City’s season total to 274,151, surpassing their previous season record of 269, 205.  It’s the fourth consecutive year they’ve set a new season attendance record.  The defeat puts Kansas City one loss away from being eliminated from playoff contention.

Kansas City’s first run came on a solo home run from Calvin Pickering in the second inning, his 17th of the season.  Mike Reese hit his first of two home runs on the night in the sixth inning, a solo shot that tied the game 1-1.

T-Bones starter Kenny Durost (pictured) and Gary starter Jason Shelley each went six innings in the contest, allowing one run a piece as neither factored into the decision.  Durost was perfect through four innings before allowing a walk to Steve Haake in the fifth, and took a no-hitter through five and one-thirds innings before surrendering his only hit on Reese’s shot.  The right-hander struck out three and walked one in the outing.  Shelley allowed four hits, striking out two and walking four.

Travis Schlichting and Danny Core threw scoreless seventh and eighth innings for the T-Bones.  Matt Schweitzer and Dan Jackson combined to throw seven shutout innings in relief, taking Kansas City into the 16th inning.  Four RailCats hurlers combined to throw nine innings of scoreless relief for Gary.

Kansas City loaded the bases in the eighth, 11th, 12th and 14th innings, but failed to score each time.  With the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th, Aharon Eggleston flied out to left and Neb Brown attempted to score.  Left-fielder Nate Price gunned Brown down at home to get the second out of the inning.  Geoff McCallum then flew out to left to end the threat.

Gary finally broke through against Raymond Jenkins in the 16th inning.  After singles from Dave Detienne and Brett Wallace put runners on the corners, a failed squeeze from Jermaine Allensworth saw Detienne out at home and brought Tanner Townsend up with two outs and runners on first and second.  Townsend was walked intentionally to load the bases and bring up tomorrow’s scheduled starter, Travis Kerber, who was pinch-hitting for pitcher David Byard.  Byard had to hit after designated hitter Mike Reese was moved to left field in the 15th inning.  Kerber was hit by the first pitch he saw to drive in the first run of the game since the sixth inning.  The next batter, Reese, hit his second home run of the game, a grand slam to right, to put Gary up 6-1.

Outfielder Dale Mueller started the bottom of the 16th and got two quick outs before a single and an error put two men on with Nick Jaros at the plate.  Jaros walked to load the bases and the RailCats brought in closer Tony Cogan.  Cogan surrendered a two-RBI single to Eggleston and an RBI single to McCallum to bring Kansas City within two, but got Rob Watson to fly out to right to end the game.

Byard improved to 3-0 for Gary while Jenkins fell to 1-1.

The two teams face off again tomorrow with Anthony Boughner going for Kansas City versus Kerber.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

Game Notes:  Gary used 20 of the 21 players on their roster.  Starting pitcher Josh Habel was the only player that didn’t make an appearance…Mario Delgado set a new franchise record for hits in a season with his three-for-eight night, putting the new total at 133...The game took five hours and 46 minutes, surpassing the previous mark of five hours, 25 minutes for the longest game in T-Bones history.