Fargo-Moorhead defeated Kansas City, 7-3, behind five extra-base hits Tuesday night at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo-N.D.
In the third inning, Ryan Wagner smacked a solo home run to left field, his fourth homer of the season, off T-Bones starter Jordan Cooper. There were back-to-back doubles from Mike Gilmartin and Kes Carter, with Carter’s scoring Gilmartin with one out. Carter was brought home two batters later when Keury De La Cruz singled, making it 3-0 through three innings.
Fargo added to its lead in the fourth. After Dustin Geiger reached on a fielder’s choice, Brian Humphries hit a two-run home run, his 13th of the season, extending the RedHawks’ lead to 5-0.
Fargo-Moorhead kept it rolling in the fifth when Ryan Pineda led off with a triple and was followed two batters later by Josh Mazzola, who grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Pineda. With two outs, Kang singled and was sent home after T-Bones’ center fielder Tyler Massey lost the ball in the lights off the bat of Geiger, who was credited with a double. That put Kansas City in a deep 7-0 deficit.
The T-Bones tried to claw back in the seventh. Anthony Gallas and Tyson Gillies led off the inning by reaching on a walk and a double. They were hit home by Vladimir Frias and Ryan Retz on a ground out and sacrifice fly, making it 7-2.
Dalton Wheat reached on an error by Fargo shortstop Mike Gilmartin, and was eventually sent home for Kansas City’s final run when Gillies singled later in the inning.
The T-Bones had plenty of opportunities, stranding the bases loaded twice. Massey, Wheat and Wiley all reached in the first inning with nobody out. Fargo-Moorhead starter Dylan Mouzakes ended the threat by striking out the next three.
In the eighth, trailing by four, Frias stepped in with the bases loaded and two outs, and struck out. Kansas City stranded nine runners on base in the game.
Kansas City (40-54) and Fargo-Moorhead (50-44) are scheduled for the third game of the four-game series Wednesday evening at 7:02. All of the action can be heard at TBonesBaseball.com.
– Story from Matt Fulks, T-Bones
Matt Besler
Graham Zusi
Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler and winger Graham Zusi were named to the United States Men’s National Team roster for two upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers, U.S. Soccer announced.
Besler and Zusi have joined the United States’ 26-man squad ahead of two pivotal matches in CONCACAF’s semifinal round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The U.S. will travel to face St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday at Arnos Vale Stadium in Kingstown (2:30 p.m., beIN SPORTS) before hosting Trinidad and Tobago on Sept. 6 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. (7 p.m., FS1 and UniMas).
The United States currently occupies second place in Group C – three points behind leaders Trinidad and Tobago and a point ahead of third-place Guatemala – with two matches remaining in the semifinal round. The top two teams from the group will advance to the “Hexagonal,” the final round of World Cup qualifying which features six nations from the CONCACAF region.
Led by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann and coming off a fourth-place finish at the 2016 Copa America Centenario, the U.S. would clinch progression to the Hexagonal with a win Friday at St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Besler, 29, has earned 35 caps for the U.S. since debuting in 2013, including two starts at the 2016 Copa America Centenario this summer. The center back helped lead the U.S. to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup title and started all four matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil as the Americans reached the Round of 16.
A native of Overland Park, Kan., Besler joined Sporting Kansas City in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of Notre Dame. He ranks sixth in club history with 234 appearances in all competitions and has received MLS Best XI (2012-13), MLS All-Star (2011, 2013-16) and 2012 MLS Defender of the Year accolades.
Zusi, 30, has made 40 appearances for the U.S. since 2012, contributing five goals and six assists. The versatile midfielder played in five of the Yanks’ six matches at the 2016 Copa America Centenario, scoring vs. Costa Rica on June 7 and starting in the semifinal against world No. 1 Argentina. Zusi recorded two assists in four games at the 2014 FIFA World Cup before featuring in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
A native of Longwood, Fla., Zusi has amassed 28 goals and 60 assists in 223 competitive appearances for Sporting Kansas City since joining the club alongside Besler in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft out of Maryland. He has landed MLS Best XI (2012-13) and 2011 MLS Breakout Player of the Year honors and was the only player to appear in every MLS All-Star Game between 2012 and 2015.
Scattered thunderstorms will remain possible through early this evening across the entire area, according to the National Weather Service.
The biggest storms have a potential for very heavy rainfall that may lead to localized flash flood, according to the weather service.
A dry and pleasant remainder of the rest of the week will start Thursday, the weather service said.
Showers are likely this morning and possibly a thunderstorm, followed by more showers and storms, mainly between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the weather service said. Today’s high will be near 80. The chance of rain is 60 percent.
Tonight, expect a low of 60 with partly cloudy skies and a northeast wind of 5 to 7 mph, the weather service said.
Thursday’s high will be near 80, with sunny skies, according to the weather service. The wind will be from the northeast at 5 to 9 mph.
Thursday night, the low will be around 59, with mostly clear skies, the weather service said.
Friday’s forecast is sunny with a high near 78, the weather service said. Friday night’s low will be around 60.
Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high near 80, according to the weather service.
Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high near 83, the weather service said.
Monday, Labor Day, will be mostly sunny with a high near 87, according to the weather service.
