SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 4, 2026
CANARIES’ DEFENSE DENIES EXPLORERS IN 5-4 FOURTH OF JULY LOSS
LATE COMEBACK FALLS SHORT FOR THE THIRD GAME IN A ROW
By: Andrew Della Piana
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Sioux City (20–25) fell 5–4 to Sioux Falls (22–23) on the Fourth of July, with the Canaries making a pair of spectacular defensive plays late to hang on for the victory.
Manager Steve Montgomery said afterwards, “…we’re trying to do too much and putting too much pressure on ourselves. It’s going to take all of us to combat that.”
Sioux Falls struck first in the third inning when No. 9 hitter Grady Mee worked a leadoff walk and eventually came around to score on Chase Engelhard’s RBI single, giving the Canaries a 1-0 lead.
The X’s answered immediately in the bottom half.
Elliot Good launched a leadoff home run for just his second of the season and his first since May 29 in Kansas City to even the score at 1-1.
The Canaries regained the lead in the fourth.
Joe Vos drew a one-out walk and stole second before TJ Racherbaumer ripped a two-out, full-count double off the wall in right field, scoring Vos for a 2-1 advantage.
Sioux City responded once again in the bottom of the inning.
Alberto Osuna doubled after the ball tipped off Joe Vos’ glove in center field, moved to third on D’Shawn Knowles’ groundout, and scored on Zane Denton’s RBI single to tie the game at 2-2.
The starting pitchers matched each other nearly pitch for pitch.
Sioux City’s Zach Willeman worked 6.0 innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out four. Willeman also became the first pitcher in the league to reach 70 strikeouts this season.
Sioux Falls starter Garrett Martin was equally effective, tossing 6.0 innings while giving up five hits, two earned runs and striking out three.
The game remained tied until the eighth inning.
Mike Hart opened the frame with a double, snapping a stretch of nine consecutive Canaries retired, including six by Willeman and three by reliever Kelvin Caceres.
Anthony Hall followed with a sharp RBI single to right to put Sioux Falls ahead 3-2. Anthony Sharkas added an RBI on a fielder’s choice before Joe Vos capped the inning with an RBI triple, extending the Canaries’ lead to 5-2.
The X’s made one final push in the bottom of the eighth.
Zac Vooletich singled to open the inning, and Braulio Vasquez followed with a hit before the pair pulled off a double steal. Alberto Osuna then crushed a line drive that Michael Curialle made a leaping catch before doubling off Vasquez at second base. Knowles later walked and stole second, setting up Denton’s two-run single that cut the deficit to 5-4.
The Explorers threatened again in the ninth.
Austin Davis singled with one out and stole second to bring the tying run into scoring position. Henry George then grounded to first baseman Mike Hart, who won a race to the bag for the second out. As Davis tried to score from second on the play, Hart quickly got to his feet and fired home to cut him down at the plate, ending the game with another remarkable defensive play and sealing the Canaries’ 5-4 victory.
Sioux City finishes the three‑game set vs Sioux Falls on Sunday. First pitch for game three is at 4:05 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 3:35 p.m. on KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM. Fans can also watch every American Association game this season on the league’s streaming platform at aabaseball.tv.
Notes from the Booth with DV:
-Sioux City is 3-8 against Sioux Falls this season.
-The Explorers have 123 stolen bases.
-The X’s are 3-9 in one run games.
-The Explorers are 0-4 when tied after seven.
-Zach Willeman tossed his fourth quality start.
–ABOUT THE SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS: The Sioux City Explorers are a proud member of the American Association of Professional Baseball in Sioux City, IA. The Explorers play their home games at Security National Bank Field at Lewis & Clark Park. For more information, please visit xsbaseball.com and follow the team on Twitter at @SiouxCityXs and on Facebook at facebook.com/SiouxCityExplorers.
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