Monarchs force WDS Game 3 in marathon game

Kansas City, KANS. — In the longest playoff game in RedHawks history, Fargo-Moorhead dropped a 4-3 decision to the Kansas City Monarchs in 15 innings Friday night at Legends Field.

The four-hour, 47-minute game was the longest by innings and time in team playoff history, besting a 13-inning Northern League West Division Series matchup (6-5 loss) against Winnipeg on Sept. 6, 1998, and the 4:34-long classic in Game 5 of the 2022 Miles Wolff Cup Final against Milwaukee (9-8 win). 

A winner-take-all Game 3 will be played Saturday night at 6:35 p.m. in Kansas City.

After the RedHawks broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 15th with a two-strike safety squeeze by Aidan Byrne, Kansas City answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to keep its season alive.

In the sixth inning, Jose Sermo launched a two-run home run to center field to tie the game and eventually force plenty of extras.

The two teams combined to use 15 pitchers, 8 for KC and 7 for F-M.