SIOUX CITY, Iowa— The Sioux City Explorers (19-13) blanked the Lincoln Saltdogs (14-18) in a 3-0 win Friday night, backed by a dominant outing from Austin Drury (3-0) and a clutch late homer from D’Shawn Knowles. In a game that was scoreless through four, Sioux City’s bats came alive late to take the series opener at Lewis and Clark Park.
The two starters were unbelievable through the first three frames. Neither team recorded a hit, and Drury and Dylan Castaneda (0-2) faced the minimum through nine batters.
Drury recorded the first two outs of the fourth but then allowed three straight base runners, bringing Jack Cone to the plate with the bases jammed. The lefty forced a pop-out, and Lincoln’s only major threat was extinguished.
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth. Sioux City shook up their batting order heading into the matchup. Manager Steve Montgomery slotted D’Shawn Knowles in the clean-up spot, and it paid dividends immediately.
Leading off the frame, Knowles blasted the 2-0 offering from Castaneda well over the right field wall for the first run of the game and his first home run of the season. The X’s tacked on two more in the following inning and snagged a 3-0 lead heading into the seventh.
Drury finished his day with seven scoreless innings, striking out seven, walking three and surrendering just two hits. Montgomery called upon Jeremy Goins for the final six outs, and he allowed just one base runner the rest of the way.
Sioux City snatched the series-opener of this four-game set behind yet another quality start. The X’s are now 6-1 when Austin Drury starts.
This four-game set continues with a double header on Saturday. The first game starts at 5:05, and the second starts shortly after the conclusion of the first. Ticket packages for the 2025 season are on sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10-, 15-, and 25-game Flex Packs. For more information, please call the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS. Stay tuned to the Explorers’ social media channels and the club’s website, xsbaseball.com, for all our news and updates.