SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2024
By Dan Vaughan Jr.
EARLY HOLE TOO MUCH FOR SIOUX CITY
FARGO-MOORHEAD MOVES ON TO DIVISION FINALS
FARGO, N.D. – The Sioux City Explorers had avoided first-inning trouble in the two previous games, but it was a four-run first for Fargo-Moorhead that had the Explorers chasing the RedHawks all night in a heartbreaking 6-5 loss at Newman Outdoor Field. The win ended the Explorers dreams of moving on to the West Division Championship Series in what was a year of so many ups and downs.
John Sheaks (0-1) got the starting nod for Sioux City, and with one out, he got into trouble in the first inning. The righthander—who had two good outings for the X’s in his final two regular-season games—would see the RedHawks get two hard-luck infield singles from Alec Olund and Ismael Alcantara. Drew Ward singled against the shift to the left side of the infield, and it was 1-0 Fargo. Marcus Chiu hit a hard-hit double to right field to bring home Alcantara, and the lead grew to 2-0. The Explorers elected to walk Peter Brookshaw to load the bases for the RedHawks. Sheaks then walked Michael Hallquist to force in another run for a 3-0 lead for the RedHawks. Fargo would cap the inning off with another RBI on a fielder’s choice from Sam Dexter to put the X’s in the early 4-0 canyon.
Sioux City would come back on starter Nile Ball in the top of the second. Scott Ota singled to start the inning, and with one out, Daniel Perez singled with Ota moving on the pitch, putting runners at the corners. A wild pitch moved Perez to second with Ozzie Martinez batting, but Ball would strikeout Martinez for the second out of the inning. Nick Shumpert then hit a ball to deep third that Hallquist airmailed over the head of first baseman Chiu to score two runs. Jake Ortega then singled to drive in Shumpert to cut the lead to 4-3.
Fargo would grab another run in the bottom of the second off reliever Jeremey Goins. Juan Fernandez doubled to start the inning. Goins retired Olund on a ground ball to short to move Fernandez to third. Goins then tossed a wild pitch that scored Fernandez to give the Fargos a 5-3 lead.
The RedHawks turned to Davis Feldman who worked the next four innings and shut down the X’s bats until the seventh. Goins would work 3.1 innings before turning the ball over to Zach Willeman. Willeman would put up a solid effort for 3.2 innings but surrendered one run in the sixth on an RBI double from Sam Dexter that would prove big in the outcome.
Sioux City would head to the seventh trailing 6-3, but they would make one last rally to cut the lead to one. Martinez would lead off with a single off Feldman. Shumpert would work a walk to put runners at first and second. Feldman then issued a wild pitch to move the runners but would leave the game with an apparent arm injury. The RedHawks turned to lefty Parker Harm who would get Ortega to ground out to third, holding the runners, but he surrendered an infield single to pinch hitter Zac Vooletich to score Martinez, making it 6-4 in favor of Fargo. Daniel Montano then drove in another run on a fielder’s choice to first to pull the X’s to within one run. Harm was able to get John Nogowski to ground out to third to end the threat and keep the advantage at one.
Harm then worked a 1-2-3 eighth before the RedHawks went to closer Alex DuBord. Dubord would get the first two outs before a two-out walk to Jake Ortega. D’Shawn Knowles then ran for Ortega at first base. Vooletich worked the count full, but Harm struck out Vooletich looking to send the RedHawks on to face Winnipeg with a 6-5 final score. Sioux City lost two one-run games in the series as they came up just short of extending their season.
For more information or for media requests, please feel free to reach out at 817-739-3693. Tickets can be purchased You can catch all the X’s action on aabaseball.tv and on radio at KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM.
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