08/16/2006 11:47 PM - CALGARY – Kansas City’s offensive woes continued Wednesday evening as the T-Bones (38-42, 16-16) fell to the Calgary Vipers (32-47, 13-18) by a score of 6-1 in the night-cap of the two clubs’ double-header. With their third straight loss, the T-Bones dropped a half-game behind Joliet for the lead in the East Division pennant race.

Just as they did in their 6-1 victory in the first game of Wednesday’s twin-bill, the Vipers jumped out to a two-run lead then put the game away late with a four-run rally.

The T-Bones, on the other hand, never got their offense going, managing just four hits off Calgary starter Scott Sarver (2-3) and reliever Jon Huizinga. In their two games Wednesday, the T-Bones recorded seven hits and have totaled just 15 hits over their current three-game skid.

In the bottom of the fifth, Brandon Rogers got the ball rolling with a lead-off single to left field off Kansas City starter Greg Bicknell. Jeff Butts singled two batters later to advance Rogers to third and set up Darryl Brinkley’s RBI-double that would give the Vipers a 1-0 lead. Nelson Castro’s grounder to third brought home a second run when Robbie Knapp’s throw to the plate struck Butts, stretching the Vipers’ advantage to 2-0.

After being held hitless through the game’s first five innings, the T-Bones finally got on the board in the sixth when Knapp singled and scored on Craig Hurba’s grounder to short. However, J.D. Foust was caught in a run-down between second and third on the play and, for the second straight game, a potential big inning was thwarted by a costly base-running error.

Kansas City threatened to even the score after putting a runner in scoring position in the eighth, but Huizinga came on in relief of Sarver and retired the final two batters of the frame to preserve the lead.

Having wrapped up their 6-1 win in the first game of the double-header with a four-run seventh inning, the Vipers iced game two with another four-run frame, this time in the eighth. Castro and Aaron McEachran got things started with back-to-back doubles off Bicknell, and Rogers’ two-run double to right-center field off James Morrison stretched the margin to 5-1. Jason Colson put the finishing touches on the inning and Calgary's two-game sweep with an RBI-double of his own to push the lead to 6-1.

Sarver earned his second win after allowing just one run on four hits in his 7 1/3 innings, and Huizinga worked the final inning and two-thirds to pick up his eighth save.

Bicknell completed 7 1/3 innings but surrendered five runs on 10 hits in his 11th loss of the season.

Rogers led the Calgary charge all night, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored to go along with his two runs batted-in.

The T-Bones will attempt to avoid the series sweep Thursday evening at 8:05 p.m. by sending RHP Jonathan Krysa (11-3, 3.65) to the mound to face Calgary RHP Tom Lyons (0-5, 6.62). Catch all the action live on “The Light” KCWJ 1030 AM, or on the internet at tbonesbaseball.com.