For the third straight night, the Wichita Wingnuts fell in walk-off fashion, this time 7-6. It was the second straight night that it occurred at the hands of the Kansas City T-Bones, ruining a great comeback that saw the Wingnuts even the score after trailing 5-0 at one point.

Jordan Cooper started for the Wingnuts, looking to extend his scoreless streak which was at 20 entering the game. However, it ended in the bottom of the first. Cooper retired the first two hitters of the inning, but Kevin Keyes walked to keep the frame alive. Next up was Zach Walters, who blasted his fourth homer of the season to make it 2-0 Kansas City.

In the second, the T-Bones would use the longball to extend their lead. Once again, Cooper retired the first two hitters of the frame, but Leonardo Rojas hit his second homer of the season to make it a 3-0 ballgame.

In the third, the two-out home run leered its ugly head once again. With one down, Marcus Lemon singled, but was thrown out trying to extend his hit into a double. That brought Kevin Keyes to the plate, who ripped the first pitch he saw over the right-center field fence for his seventh home run of the season. That made it 4-0.

While Cooper was struggling early on, Kansas City starter Chris Perry was bringing the heat. The right-hander struck out the side in the first and had six strikeouts through the first three-innings. In the fourth he struck out the side once again and had 10 through the first five innings.

Perry was not only dominating with his fastball, but when he found himself in trouble he was getting himself out of danger. In the fifth, he loaded the bases on a single and two walks, but got a pop out to end the inning. In the sixth the Wingnuts loaded the bases once again ending the day for Perry. The starter went 5.2-innings, allowing only 2-hits, but walking 6 while striking out 11.  Kamakani Usui came on and struck out Leo Vargas to end the threat.

The T-Bones extended their lead to five in the fifth with another clutch two-out hit. Eddie Newton doubled to start the inning and moved to third on a sacrifice. Cooper retired Lemon, but Keyes singled up the middle to score Newton and it was 5-0.

The way that the Kansas City pitching staff was going that seemed like an insurmountable lead, especially considering that Usui had not been scored on this season. However, like it had been for Cooper, this game would see the reliever’s scoreless streak end as well.

Harrison Kain led off the top of the seventh with a single and moved to second when Christian Stringer walked. Brent Clevlen followed with a single that scored Kain, ending Usui’s streak at 10. T.J. Mittelstaedt followed by drawing a walk, and the bases were loaded with no one out. Next up was Matt Chavez, who lined a single into right-center, scoring Stringer and Clevlen. That made it 5-3, and Usui was done. Rich Mascheri came on. He struck out Brennen Salgado and then got Martin Medina to hit into a double-play to end the threat.

It remained a two-run Kansas City lead heading into the ninth. The T-Bones sent Grant Sides into the game to close it out, however he could not do so. Stringer greeted him with a walk and Clevlen followed with a single. Mittelstaedt struck out before Chavez and Salgado each delivered RBI singles which tied the game.

In the bottom of the ninth it looked like Kansas City would walk-off when they loaded the bases with no one out. However, Jared Wilson got Newton and Omar Garcia to ground out with the runner being thrown out at the plate each time, before getting Lemon to fly out.

That sent the contest into extra innings, and the Wingnuts looked like they had this won when T.J. Mittelstaedt homered with two outs in the top of the 11th. That was his third homerun of the year. However, the Wingnuts could not hold the lead. Walks to Patrick Brady and Chantz Mack started the inning against Seth Harvey. Newton walked to load the bases and Brady scored on a sacrifice fly by Omar Garcia.

The marathon continued into the 14th inning, when the T-Bones would win the game. Lemon singled with one out and looked like he would score when Kevin Keyes doubled into right field. However, the relay from Richard Prigatano to Vargas to Medina nailed Lemon for the second out. Walters then walked before Joe Jackson singled to load the bases with two down. Brady was the next hitter, and he singled to score Keyes with the winning run.

The Kansas City T-Bones pitching staff set an American Association record with 24-strikeouts. Patrick Brady finished 1-2 with a run, RBI, and walk. Kevin Keyes was 3-5 with 3-runs, an RBI and 2-walks. Brent Clevlen finished 3-7 with 2-runs and an RBI.

These two teams have a short time off, as Wednesday’s game is set for 11:05. Tyler Kane (2-1, 5.09) will start for Wichita. Jeff Walters (1-0, 1.80) gets the nod for Kansas City.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier