KANSAS CITY, Kan. –The sun shined through for the Kansas City Monarchs’ first Bark in the Park at Legends Field and for the team’s second win of the regular season. The Monarchs defeated the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 2-1 Sunday.  Jan Hernandez was the late game hero for the Monarchs. The KC outfielder broke a 1-1 tie in the home half of the eighth inning with a solo shot to left field off the RedHawks Michael Hope (0-1). In the next inning, Hernandez would make a running catch down the right field line to the corner of the ballpark for the final out of the game.

The Monarchs started off hot in the bottom of the first, scoring an early run to start off 1-0 on an RBI single to left field by designated hitter Gabby Guerrero scoring centerfielder Johnny Field. Then, Colin Willis was hit by RedHawks pitcher Tyler Pike, loading the bases. Kansas City failed to capitalize after a pop-fly to right by Anibal Sierra. The Monarchs loaded the bases again in the bottom of the second but would fail to add to their lead.

The two lefty starters locked into a tight game the rest of the way. Pike would work five innings surrendering one run while Eric Stout would work seven innings and strike out 10 on the way to a no decision. In the top of the sixth, the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks’ Manuel Boscan drove in Sam Dexter with a RBI double off Stout. The Monarchs lefty would induce the teams third double play of the game in the bottom of the sixth, shutting down the RedHawks to keep the game even at one.

Kansas City pitcher Brian Ellington found himself in a jam in the top of the eighth, starting out with three back-to-back walks then followed by two strikeouts with bases loaded. Carlos Diaz (1-0) relieved Ellington and finished the job for the Monarchs getting a fly ball out to end the top of the eighth.

In the bottom of the eighth, Jan Hernandez got the Monarchs rolling again, blasting a homer that reached the left field bleachers and would prove to be the game winner. Diaz would get the first out of the ninth then an infield single by John Silviano and a walk to Kevin Krause put runners at first and second. Diaz would the get the second out on a Dylan Kelly fly out to center then would face Nick Shumpert with two on and two out. Shumpert hit a looping fly down the right field line that Jan Hernandez tracked down to close out the game with a clutch catch by the T-Mobile Home Run Hill.

Box Score

The Kansas City Monarchs will hit the road to face the Sioux City Explorers on Tuesday; first pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:35 p.m. and the video stream will air on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.  For additional information or interview requests, members of the media may contact the Monarchs Media Relations Department at (817) 739-3693. Stay tuned to monarchsbaseball.com. and the Monarchs Facebook and Twitter pages for updates throughout the season.

By Dan Vaughan, Kansas City Monarchs