The Kansas City T-Bones wrapped up their first long road trip of the season, going 5-2 but dropping the final game of the four-game series at Sioux City 5-4 Thursday night.
Sioux City took a 1-0 lead with the ball never leaving the infield the first inning. Louis Durango scored on a fielder’s choice from Nate Samson off T-Bones starter Barrett Astin for the early lead.
Sioux City would take a 3-0 lead, scoring two more in the fourth. Dexture McCall drove one run in with a fielder’s choice to second, and the second run would score on an error by short stop Dylan Tice.
The T-Bones cut the lead to 3-1 with Tice slamming a single to right to score Dexter Kjerstad, who singled to start the inning off Sioux City starter Justin Vernia in the top of the sixth.
Sioux City came back to score another run on an RBI single from Jay Baum to get the run back in the bottom of the sixth to make it 4-1.
For the second night in a row, the T-Bones made a seventh inning comeback, but Sioux City was able to score one run in the eighth to provide the difference.
Kansas City trailed 4-1 going into the top of the seventh, but they tied the game on a three-run home run to left field by Dexter Kjerstad. It was the same spot he hit one on Tuesday night to help the T-Bones come back late in the ninth.
Julio Eusebio took over for Astin in the seventh.
Durango reached base on a one-out walk and was followed by Michael Lang. Lang lined the ball to short, and Kansas City looked to have Durango doubled up at first, but the throw was high and got away, allowing Durango to go to second.
Francisco Gracesqui walked Austin and then gave up an infield single to Nate Samson to score Durango to provide the difference.
Ryan Flores (1-0) worked 2.1 to get the win—including dodging a bases-loaded situation in the seventh— while Eusebio (0-1) was charged with the loss.
The T-Bones are 8-5 while the Explorers are now 10-4.
The T-Bones return home Friday night, June 1, for a weekend series against the Wichita Wingnuts with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. It will be poster night and post-game on-the-field autographs.
Season, group, mini-plans and nightly party suites are on sale and can be purchased by visiting the box office at T-Bones Stadium. Call the box office at 913-328-5618 or purchase and print at www.tbonesbaseball.com. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
– Story from T-Bones
Jim Barnett, an Emporia physician and former state lawmaker, named his wife, Rosemary Hansen as his choice for lieutenant governor. (Photo by Stephen Koranda, Kansas News Service)
by Stephen Koranda, Kansas News Service
Republican candidate for Kansas governor Jim Barnett has chosen what he admits is an unconventional running mate: his wife.
Barnett announced Thursday that he had selected Rosie Hansen as his lieutenant governor pick.
Barnett said he wanted a running mate to help accomplish his goals of improving the way state government functions and bridging the divide between rural and urban Kansas.
“It became clear that the one person who was best qualified in all areas was also the person who had spent the past 22 months traveling 70,000 miles with me, Rosemary Hansen, my wife,” Barnett said in the announcement.
With a laugh, Hansen recounted her initial reaction when Barnett asked her to be his running mate.
“I said, ‘Absolutely not. Are you crazy? I’m not a politician,’” she said. “And he said, ‘That’s why you should be lieutenant governor.’”
Hansen was a foreign service officer in the U.S. State Department, where she helped establish and manage overseas embassies.
She said she was persuaded to run after thinking about ways to use her experience.
“These are things that I could do. These are ways I could contribute,” she said. “He said to me ‘That’s great, but you can only contribute from the inside. You really can’t do that from the outside.’”
The two married in September 2017.
Barnett is an Emporia physician who was the Republican nominee for governor in 2006 while serving in the Kansas Senate. He said he had also considered several other possible choices for his running mate.
Barnett is positioning himself in the race as more of a centrist than other Republican candidates, including Gov. Jeff Colyer, Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer.
Washburn University Political Science Professor Bob Beatty said he’s not aware of any past husband-and-wife candidates for governor and lieutenant governor in Kansas. He also couldn’t think of any examples in other states.
“Unusual is not the correct word. (It’s) unprecedented in Kansas history,” Beatty said. “It’s really stunning in Kansas for a major party candidate.”
Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio, a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to the original post.
See more at http://kcur.org/post/sickness-health-and-race-kansas-governor-barnett-picks-wife-running-mate.
National Weather Service graphic
An Air Quality alert is in effect today for Wyandotte County, according to the National Weather Service.
Residents should avoid refueling vehicles, using lawn mowers, and strenuous activity until later this evening. Also, check on those that have respiratory issues such as asthma and heart disease as well as young children and the elderly.
On days like today, where there is an orange ozone alert, residents may ride the buses for half-fare, 75 cents, on regular routes.
Severe weather will be possible tonight, according to the weather service. The main threats will be for damaging winds, frequent lightning and flash flooding.
Temperatures will be hot today, but will drop on Saturday, with rain in the forecast.
Today, temperatures will climb to 94 with sunny skies, the weather service said. A calm wind will change to south southeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning.
Tonight, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., then showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 70 with a south southeast wind of 8 to 10 mph. Between a tenth and quarter-inch of rain is expected.
Saturday, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 7 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 7 a.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 84 with partly sunny skies and a southeast wind of 8 to 16 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds may gust as high as 23 mph. Between a tenth and quarter-inch of rain is possible.
Saturday night, the low will be 61 with clear skies and a northwest wind of 6 to 13 mph, according to the weather service.
Sunday will be sunny with a high near 84 and a north northwest wind of 6 to 11 mph, the weather service said.
Sunday night, the low will be around 61 with mostly clear skies, according to the weather service.
Monday, it will be partly sunny with a high near 82, the weather service said.
Monday night, expect a low of 63 with partly cloudy skies, according to the weather service.
Tuesday, it will be sunny with a high near 86, the weather service said.
Tuesday night, the low will be around 66 with mostly clear skies, according to the weather service.
Wednesday, it will be sunny with a high near 90, the weather service said.
Wednesday night, the low will be around 69 with partly cloudy skies, according to the weather service.
Thursday, it will be mostly sunny with a high near 89, the weather service said.
