Jacob Blackwood highlighted a six-run ninth inning with his 30th home run of the year, tying the T-Bones single-season home run mark while propelling Kansas City (51-38) to an 8-3 win over the Rockford RiverHawks (44-46) on Thursday night.

Rockford struck first in the contest against Mike Rocco with a solo home run by Victor Diaz to begin the second inning. Rico Washington answered for the T-Bones an inning later with a solo blast of his own off Roger Lincoln to tie the game at one.

Rocco was chased in the fifth inning when the RiverHawks took a 3-1 lead with a two-run frame. Jono Brooks reached on an error to begin the inning and scored the first run on an RBI double by Rich Austin. Todd Moser entered for Kansas City and immediately surrendered an RBI single to Jason James to cap the scoring for Rockford.

Rocco was charged with three runs, two earned, on four hits over four and one-thirds innings. Lincoln left with one out in the seventh, surrendering one run on six hits in his outing. Neither starter factored into the decision.

Matt Perisho threw a perfect seventh and Casey Hodges (2-2) added a scoreless eighth for the T-Bones. Kansas City pulled within one in the top of the eighth against Jon Huizinga on an RBI single by Gabriel Martinez. Jimmy Johnson entered with two outs in the frame and struck out the only batter he faced to end the threat.

Dwayne White entered as a pinch-hitter against Rockford closer Scott Roehl (5-2) to begin the ninth and quickly tied the game at three with a solo shot to right. Pinch-hitter Keith Hernandez singled two batters later and was followed by a one-out walk from Jimmy Mojica. After a flyout, Blackwood gave the T-Bones a 6-3 lead with his record-tying blast. A walk to the next hitter chased Roehl, and Ray Sadler greeted Mike McTamney with a two-run home run to cap the score at 8-3.

Roehl suffered the blown save and the loss after allowing five runs on three hits, two home runs, in two-thirds of an inning. Drew Shetrone threw a perfect ninth for Kansas City to secure the win for Hodges.

Blackwood finished two-for-three with a double, home run and three RBI. His blast tied him with Eddie Pearson for the team’s single-season home run record, a mark set in 2004. Blackwood is now three home runs shy of the Northern League, and franchise, record of 33 set by Anthony Lewis of the Duluth-Superior Dukes during the 2000 season. The win also secures the first winning regular season for the Duluth/Kansas City franchise.

Kansas City’s Cody McAllister (10-5, 4.27) looks to push the T-Bones win streak to four Friday night against former Royals farmhand Mike Wood (3-6, 5.06) and the RiverHawks. First pitch is set for 7:05. Catch all the action online at www.tbonesbaseball.com or on the radio at KXTR 1660 AM.