SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2026
EXPLORERS’ 9‑RUN RALLY NOT ENOUGH IN 12–11 LOSS TO LAKE COUNTRY
SIOUX CITY SUFFERS BACK-TO-BACK ONE RUN LOSSES
OCONOMOWOC, WI – Sioux City (47–50) surrendered the lead in the eighth inning for the second straight game in a 12–11 setback to Lake Country (55–42).
In the first, Anthony Garcia grounded out with the bases loaded to score Ripken Reyes for a 1–0 Lake Country lead.
Reyes tripled to right to clear the bases and make it 4–0, then scored on Dom Johnson’s sacrifice fly. With two outs and a full count, Peter Zimmermann launched a three‑run homer to push the lead to 8–0.
Sioux City responded with a nine‑run burst across the third and fourth innings.
In the third, Zac Vooletich singled home Austin Davis, D’Shawn Knowles ripped a bases-clearing double, and Wilfredo Gimenez added an RBI single aided by a throwing error to cut the deficit to 8–5.
The fourth brought more damage as Vooletich blooped an RBI single to left, and Knowles followed with a three‑run homer to give Sioux City a 9–8 lead with nine unanswered runs in two innings.
Lake Country tied it quickly in the bottom half on Garcia’s solo homer to center.
Both bullpens held the line until the eighth, when the DockHounds seized control.
Rob Hughes walked the bases loaded, and with two outs and an 0–2 count, potential league MVP Joshua Mears lined a two‑run single to left, giving Lake Country an 11–9 lead and setting the American Association single‑season RBI record with his 107th. A bases‑loaded walk made it 12–9.
Sioux City made one last push in the ninth. With two outs, Yorman Rodriguez homered to center for a two‑run shot, trimming the deficit to 12–11. Davis then flew out to end the game.
Sioux City continues the final regular‑season series Saturday against Lake Country at 6:35 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:05 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. Tickets for all remaining games are available now by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS or online at xsbaseball.com. xsbaseball.com.
Notes from the Booth with DV:
-Sioux City lost back-to-back one run games. The team is 8-19 in one run games this season.
-The Explores have 274 stolen bases one shy of last year’s total.
-The loss and a win for Sioux Falls put the X’s two games behind the Canaries but with the tie breaker in the favor of Sioux Falls the lead is actually three with three to play. The Canaries magic number to eliminate the X’s from postseason play is now at one.
-Sioux City walked 10 DockHounds including the bases loaded in the faithful eighth inning.
–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.
TUNE INTO ALL THE EXPLORERS ACTION ON KSCJ AND AABASEBALL.TV