By Dan Vaughan

SIOUX CITY, IA— On paper the match up going into the first game of the best of five game series to decide the South Division Champion of the American Association looked like a classic pitchers dual.  Last Friday the meeting of Dylan Baker of Kansas City and Carlos Sierra of Sioux City produced a grand total of one run combined between the two right handers over a combined 14 innings and it was an unearned run. After three innings Wednesday night it was any but a pitchers dual. Kansas City (1-0) rode a seven run third and 16 hit attack to a 12-8 win in the opener of the series over Sioux City (0-1) at Lewis and Clark Park.

Sioux City left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first off Dylan Baker but did not miss a chance to score in the second. Sebastian Zawada hit an RBI double to give Sioux City their only lead. That lead was short lived. Facing Carlos Sierra (0-1) the T-Bones put up one of their best innings of the season in the top of the third. Ramsey Romano singled followed by Austin Biggar, who worked a four-pitch walk. The Explorers were looking for a bunt from Dylan Tice, who instead hit the first pitch he saw down the right field line missing a home run by a couple of feet. That tied the game at one. Danny Mars gave KC the lead with a sac fly to left then Stewart Ijames drove in the third run of the inning with an RBI single to center. Daniel Nava singled to put runners at first and second. A wild pitch from Sierra moved the runners up a base.

Casey Gillaspie then hit a double off the right field wall just missing a home run as well by mere feet to make it 5-1 in favor of the T-Bones.  Sierra was able to get the second out, but the third was a little harder. Omar Carrizales launched a two-run home run to right to make it 7-1 and close out the eight-hit inning. Sierra would not return after three innings surrendering seven earned runs. The right hander had allowed just three earned runs combined against Kansas City this season in his previous three starts totaling 17.2 innings.

Baker executed a shut down third inning against Sioux City, but the X’s got right back into the game in the bottom of the fourth.  Back to back RBI singles from Nate Samson and Jeremy Hazelbaker, would bring home three runs to make it 7-4 KC. Then in the fifth Zawada hit a two-run home run to left to bring Sioux City to within one run at 7-6.

The T-Bones grabbed three more in the top of the sixth.  Mars and Ijames reached on a single and a double off Joe Riley setting the table for Nava. The veteran drove in the T-Bones eighth run with and RBI single and Christian Correa followed two batters later with an infield RBI single to score Ijames and an error by Jose Sermo on the throw to first allowed Nava to race home making it 10-6 with KC on top.

Sioux City took advantage of two back to back errors by Ramsey Romano at shortstop scoring two unearned runs off Hunter Smith, who came in for the T-Bones in the fifth for Baker. Hazelbaker hit a long single off the wall in right to score two runs to make it 10-8 and once again close the gap to a two run KC lead. Neither club could break through in the later innings. Lefty Henry Owens worked out of a jam with runners at second and third in the eighth to keep the T-Bones on top by two. In the top of the ninth Ijames drove in two more runs to make it 12-8 Kansas City off reliever Sam Held. Carlos Diaz would work a scoreless ninth to close the game on the mound for the T-Bones.

Game two will also be in Sioux City on Thursday nigtht September 5^th in Sioux CIry. Following an off day for travel the series will resume Kansas City this weekend. Game three is scheduled for Saturday, September 7^th at 7:05 p.m at JustBats Field at T-Bones Stadium.  Game four and five if necessary are set for Sunday the 8^th at 5:05 p.m. and Monday the 9^th at 7:05 p.m. Catch all the action live on the T-Bones Broadcast Network. 

Tickets to all T-Bones home playoff games are just $8.00 and are on sale now online or by calling (913) 328-5618 or by visiting the Saint Luke's Box Office between the hours of 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Group ticket sales are also on sale now. 

For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the T-Bones Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to www.tbonesbaseball.com. and the T-Bones Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.   

Box Score

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