Fargo, ND — The Monarchs started their nine-game road trip with a rough 16-6 loss to Fargo on Tuesday night. Kansas City gave up the most runs and hits this season despite taking an early lead.
That early lead started in the opening frame when Sahid Valenzuela doubled on a liner up the middle. This brought in the newly signed and former big leaguer, Nick Martini. He played eight years in the MLB with six different organizations and showed his experience right from the get-go. The first baseman drove a ball into left field to bring home Valenzuela for the game’s first run. Shortly after, Hudson Head arrived on the scene with a sac fly to center and Martini crossed home plate for the first time as a Monarch. It was a 2-0 advantage, but would be their only lead of the night.
Fargo grabbed a run in the bottom of the frame and then tallied five runs in the second inning with a Dillon Thomas grand slam to left field. Kansas City muscled in a run in the top of the third as Austin Callahan continued his success at the plate with a double to bring in Martini. Callahan finished 4-5 tonight with an RBI and a run which was a tremendous outing for the third baseman. It was the most hits he has had in a game all season.
Fargo kept on swinging the bats at an extremely high clip and it continued for the next three innings. They grabbed two runs in the bottom of the third while totaling four tallies each in the fourth and fifth inning. After five frames, the Monarchs found themselves down a dozen runs (16-4). Every player in the Redhawks lineup earned a hit while seven batters had two or more knocks.
Martini continued a red hot day at the dish in the eighth inning when he ripped a line drive into center field which scored Marcus Smith and Grant Richardson. Martini dazzled in his first game in a Monarchs uniform going 3-5 with a three-rbi night. The former Colorado Rockie is a huge pickup and will be a vital piece to this group going forward.
Right-handed pitcher, Wyatt Wendell made his debut for Kansas City in the seventh frame and gave up only one hit in the inning. Wendell was on the training camp roster, but officially signed on June 8th.
The Monarchs suffered their worst loss of the season and will look to shift their focus to tomorrow’s game to try to even up the set. First pitch is at 7:02 when Austin Hansen is set to toe the slab.
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