Ray Sadler capped off a three-RBI performance with a tie-breaking, solo home run in the top of the eighth inning to lead the Kansas City T-Bones (40-24) to a 5-3 win over the Rockford RiverHawks Saturday night at Road Ranger Stadium.  The win snaps a three-game losing streak for Kansas City, their longest of the season.

Jacob Blackwood gave Kansas City a quick 1-0 lead against Mike Wood (1-5) in the first inning with a solo home run, his 18th of the season.  Sadler doubled home a run two innings later to push the score to 2-0 before adding Kansas City’s third run of the night with an RBI groundout in the fifth.

Kevin Light, making his first professional start in the contest, held Rockford scoreless through four innings before Jono Brooks singled to begin the fifth and later scored on a groundout by Jason James.  Light finished the fifth but surrendered a single and a double to begin the sixth before leaving in favor of Erik Hamren.  Ian Church greeted the T-Bones reliever with an RBI single before a sacrifice fly from Jake Eigsti tied the game at three.

Light was charged with three runs on seven hits over five-plus innings in his starting debut.  He did not factor into the decision.

Hamren completed the sixth inning for Kansas City, retiring each of the next two batters following Eigsti’s sacrifice fly.  Hamren, Kyle Heim, and Casey Hodges (1-0) combined to post a perfect seventh for the T-Bones, and Hodges stayed in the game to add a scoreless eighth.  Hodges earned the victory after holding Rockford to just one hit over one and one-thirds scoreless frames.

Sadler’s blast to begin the eighth broke the 3-3 tie for Kansas City.  The next batter, Jim Fasano, then singled to chase Wood from the contest.  The single extended Fasano’s hit streak to 21 games, the longest in the league this season.

Wood suffered the loss after allowing four runs on 11 hits over seven-plus innings.  Drew Shetrone, signed prior to the game, threw a scoreless ninth to earn the save.

Fasano walked in each of his first three plate appearances before extending his streak in the eighth.  He walked again in the ninth to tie the Northern League record for walks in a game at four.  He is the fourth T-Bone since 2003, and second this season, to walk four times in a contest.

The two teams prepare for the rubber match of their three-game series tomorrow night as Kansas City sends Cody McAllister (8-3, 3.46) to face Kyle Ruwe (3-6, 5.36) and the RiverHawks.  First pitch is set for 4:05.  Catch all the action online at www.tbonesbaseball.com or on the radio at KXTR 1660 AM.