06/21/2006 10:37 PM - KANSAS CITY – Summer solstice might be the longest day of the year, but the Kansas City T-Bones (14-18) were right on time with their 12-5 Wednesday night win over the Joliet JackHammers (11-20). The T-Bones beat the JackHammers in front of 6,156 fans at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, taking a 2-1 lead in the four game series.

The JackHammers scored first, racking up four runs in the top of the second. Greg Stevens scored on a Blake Gill triple to left field, then Gill came home on a Mike Goss single to center. John Lackaff followed with his seventh home run to give Joliet a 4-0 lead. However the T-Bones answered back in the bottom of the second with four runs of their own. Chad Sosebee singled to left, allowing Pat Magness and Craig Hurba to score. Greg Jacobs reached first on a fielder’s choice that brought Doug Dreher home and a throwing error by first baseman Bubba Smith gave Sosebee the chance to score.

The T-Bones scored again in the third, finishing the inning with a one run lead. In the bottom of the fourth, Brandon Jones slammed a home run to center field. Two batters later, Charles Peterson hit a homer of his own, extending the lead to 8-4.

But the JackHammers didn’t give up easily. After two scoreless innings, Jayson Drobiak singled to center field in the top of the fifth, giving Lackaff a chance to score his second run of the night. Unfortunately for Joliet, the JackHammers failed to score after the fifth inning.

The T-Bones, however, continued to smack the ball around. Jacobs hit a home run to deep right field in the top of the sixth; Eddie Pearson also scored thanks to a single by Hurba. Sosebee and Magness scored again in the seventh and eighth innings respectively, sealing a 12-5 victory for the T-Bones.

James Morrison (2-0) worked 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of emergency starter Eric Ebers to earn the victory. Morrison (pictured) allowed just one hit and struck out three batters.

The T-Bones and JackHammers will conclude their series Thursday with an 11:05 a.m. contest. Kansas City will send RHP Greg Bicknell (2-4, 4.66) to the mound to oppose Joliet right-hander Brad Morenko (3-3, 5.06). Catch all the action live on "The Light" 1030 KCWJ-AM or on www.tbonesbaseball.com.

Game Notes: Pat Magness walked three times for the second straight game and extended his on-base streak to 11 games; he also has recorded a hit in 10 of those games and his batting .474 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark…Brandon Jones has homered in two straight and three of his last four contests...the T-Bones scored in every inning Wednesday night except the first and fifth...Chad Sosebee registered his first three-hit game of the season Wednesday, going 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and three RBI...Doug Dreher (2-for-5) extended his home hit streak to 12 games, while Charles Peterson (2-for-5, 3 RBI) has now hit in 13 straight games at CommunityAmerica Ballpark; Dreher has also reached base safely in 15 straight games...Eric Ebers worked 4.1 IP in his first start of 2006 and just his third start as a professional.