Sports
It’s been a big September for the Studer baseball portfolio. The Kansas City Monarchs, owned by Quint and Rishy Studer, closed out the Sioux Falls Canaries with a 7-3 win on Sept. 12 and are moving on to the American Association’s West Division championship series. Meanwhile, back home, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos wrapped their regular season with a hard-fought 2-1 loss to Biloxi but still finished with a league-best 79-58 record and open their own Southern League Division Series at Blue Wahoos Stadium on Tuesday.
Monarchs Survive a Slugfest, Advance to West Division Championship
Kansas City trailed early after Sioux Falls’ Grady Mee launched a two-run homer in the second, but the Monarchs answered immediately. Onix Vega cranked a two-run shot of his own in the bottom of the frame, and Tyler Gentry knocked in another run to give KC its first lead—one it would not relinquish.
- Sahid Valenzuela went 4-for-4 at the plate and scored twice
- Veteran right-hander Michael Mariot struck out six in his 11th appearance of the season
- The bullpen trio of Tyler Myrick, Jack Walker, and Durbin Feltman shut the door with three scoreless innings
- Insurance runs came in the eighth on hits from Valenzuela, Vega, Head, Torres, and Luken Baker
What’s next: The Monarchs open a best-of-five West Division championship series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks on tonight at Newman Outdoor Field, with first pitch at 7:02 p.m. The first two games are on the road before the series shifts back to Legends Field in Kansas City on Thursday.
Blue Wahoos Close Out the Regular Season, Turn the Page to the Postseason
Pensacola’s regular season ended Sunday with a 2-1 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers, but the finish did little to dim what was, by any measure, a standout year. The Blue Wahoos’ 79-58 record was the best in the Southern League and marks the third-best winning percentage in franchise history.
Biloxi scratched across single runs in the third and fifth innings against starter Jacob Miller and reliever Josh Hejka, who otherwise turned in 4.0 strong innings of relief. Pensacola finally got on the board in the eighth when Dillon Lewis—the league’s home run leader before a hand injury sidelined him in late June—hit his first homer since June 24.
What’s next: As the second-half South Division champion, Pensacola hosts the first-half champion Shuckers in Game One of their best-of-three Division Series on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. The series shifts to Biloxi for Game Two on Thursday, with a Game Three in Biloxi on Friday if necessary. Broadcasts air on YurView, Bally Sports Live, MLB.tv, and bluewahoos.com/radio.
Bottom line: Whatever else is happening at the ballpark level, it’s worth noting that the Studers now have skin in two postseason races at once. Pensacola fans have a reason to watch Kansas City’s series against Fargo-Moorhead this week—and vice versa.
Featured photo: Colby Shade made a leaping catch in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Shuckers.Nino Mendez / Pensacola Blue Wahoos