06/30/2004 3:33 PM - June 30, 2004

KANSAS CITY – The T-Bones scored three runs in the final four innings, but it wasn’t enough in a 6-3 defeat to Joliet Wednesday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Shortstop Jack Jones hit his fourth home run of the season and Chad Hill collected a pair of hits in the loss for Kansas City (15-23).

Joliet starter Brian Mazone (5-2) allowed three runs, two earned, in 6.1 innings of work to record the win. Shortstop Dan Firlit drove in two runs, all coming on his first homer of the season, to pace the JackHammers’ offense. Robert Garvin pitched the ninth to earn his fifth save of the year.

Jon McDonald (3-3) lasted five innings for the T-Bones and allowed four runs, though just two were earned. Hill, who collected a pair of singles out of the lead-off spot, has hit safely in eight of his last nine games and is batting .424 (14-for-33) during that time.

Trailing 4-0 in the sixth inning, Kansas City finally broke through on Mazone when Jones lifted a bases-empty blast well over the wall in left field to end the shutout bid. The JackHammers (19-19) got the run back, however, in the seventh thanks to a ground out by David Gordon with the bases loaded that made the score 5-1.

But the T-Bones mounted a rally in the home half when Chris LePine and Hill reached base on a walk and an error by the first baseman, respectively. Rick Prieto sent a ground ball to third to plate LePine and Eddie Pearson followed with a single up the middle that brought home Hill that made the score 5-3.

But that’s as close as the T-Bones would get as the JackHammers plated a run in the eighth on a single by Paul Corey that closed out the scoring for the game. The T-Bones will next play a three-game series at Sioux City beginning Friday before returning to CommunityAmerica Ballpark Monday when Gary comes to town.

Game Notes: Prieto drew a walk in the first inning. It was his sixth free pass of the three-game series… With the loss, the T-Bones fell to 2-5 against left-handed starters at CommunityAmerica Ballpark this season and 4-8 against southpaws overall… The JackHammers attempted a delayed steal of home with runners on first and third and two outs in the second inning. Ceriani gunned the ball to second base where Hill returned a throw to the plate to gun down the runner and end the inning.

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